3?^;: 


THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 

OF  CALIFORNIA 

LOS  ANGELES 

GIFT  OF 

Eastern  Star  Home 


Studies  in 
Divine  Science 


By  Mrs.  C.  L.  Baum 
Denver 


SECOND  EDITION 


AUTHORIZED  BY 

THE  COLORADO  COLLEGE  OF  DIVINE  SCIENCE 
DENVER,  COLORADO 


Copyright,  1909,  by  Mrs.  C.  L.  Baum 


THE   SMITH-BROOKS    PRE 


T3>c 


TO   THOSE    WHO   KNOW   THERE    IS   A   WAY 

PUT   HAVE   FOUND   IT   NOT; 

AND  TO  THOSE  WHO  HAVE  FOUND  THE  WAT 

YET   KNOW   IT    NOT, 

THIS   BOOK   IS   LOVINGLY   DEDICATED. 


CONTENTS. 

Page 

I.     Omnipresence   9 

II.     Realization    21 

III.  Overcoming  31 

IV.  Application   44 

V.     Helping  Others    58 

VI.     Rules  of  Action 67 

VII.     Thought    79 

VIII.     The  Word 95 

IX.     Healing    112 

X.     Non-Resistance    123 

XI.     Supply   137 

XII.     Service  in  Love 152 

XIII.  Joy    167 

XIV.  Spiritual  Guidance  180 

XV.     Living  the  Life 196 

Guidance  for  Realization 204 


Suggestions  to  Those  Who  Wish  to  be 
Led  by  the  Spirit.  . .  .Nona  L.  Brooks  190 


Leave  It  With  Him 18 

An   Inward  Stillness 30 

In  the  Rush 43 

Where  Shall  I  Sow  My  Seed? 57 

Words  of  Love 66 

Three  Gates  of  Gold 78 

Loyalty   93 

The  Loving  Word Ill 

Peace 122 

The  Larger  Prayer 135 

The  Law  of  Love 151 

Consecration    165 

Take  Joy  Home 179 

The  Indwelling  God 194 

Poem    203 

My  Wish  for  You 217 


A  FOREWORD. 

To  the  Readers  : 

This  book  is  a  clear,  definite  statement  of 
Divine  Science  as  taught  at  the  Colorado 
College  of  Divine  Science.  It  will  meet  a 
need  and  find  a  cordial  welcome  in  many 
places.  If  it  is  carefully  studied,  and  the 
suggestions  given  in  it  are  followed  faith- 
fully, there  cannot  fail  to  be  the  realiza- 
tion of  great  benefit  by  the  one  who  thus 
earnestly  applies  himself.  The  one  who 
reads  in  this  way  will  have  a  much  more 
definite  grasp  on  the  subject-matter  and 
its  application  to  daily  problems,  than  will 
the  one  who  reads  more  hurriedly.  The 
spiritual  unfoldment  also,  will  be  attained 


more  certainly  if  each  lesson  is  thoroughly 
understood  before  passing  on  (<>  the  next. 
With  the  sincere  wish  thai  all  who  study 
may  comprehend  the  truths  contained 
herein,  1  am. 

Yours  faithfully, 

NONA  L.  BROOKS, 
.Minister  of 
The  First  Divine  Science  Church, 
Denver,  Colorado. 

June,  1909. 


I. 

OMNIPRESENCE. 

STATEMENT   OP   FUNDAMENTALS. 

God  is  All  there  Is,  both  invisible  and 
visible. 

One  Presence,  Knowledge  and  Power  is 
All. 

This  one  that  is  all,  is  Perfect  Life, 
Intelligence,  and  Substance. 

Man  is  the  Expression  of  God,  and  is 
ever  One  with  this  Perfect  Life,  Intelli- 
gence and  Substance.  (Truth  and 
Health.) 

STATEMENT  of  omnipresence. 
I  accept  the  Omnipresence  without  any 
reserve.  Since  God  fills  all,  there  is  no 
place  for  anything  adverse  to  God.  There 
is  no  place  for  sin,  sickness  or  death  in 
God's  Presence,  and  that  Presence  fills  all. 
(Selected  Bible  Readings.) 
9 


OM  MI'KI'.SMNOK. 

The  earnest  student  who  desires  to  know 
Truth,  for  Truth's  sake,  is  advised  that  he 

lake  (his  lesson  into  deep  consideration, 
for  it  is  the  liasis  of  all  thinking,  healing 
and  living.  As  we  we  find  the  truth  of 
Omnipresence,  we  find  the  Truth  of  God 
and  man. 

In  Divine  Science  the  term  Omnipres- 
ence is  used  more  than  any  other  word, 
and  it  is  really  the  foundation  principle 
of  all  our  work.  Wherever  we  use  the 
term  Omnipresence,  we  mean  to  convey 
to  the  student  the  eternal  fact  of  the  all- 
inclusive,  all-pervading,  all-infilling,  all- 
sustaining  Life,  which  man  has  pleased 
to  call  or  name  God,  and  of  which  he  is  a 
part. 

We  see  this  Presence  as  Cause,  Source, 
Father;  its  nature  eternal, self-sustaining, 
indivisible,  boundless,  unlimited.  The 
substance  of  this  One  who  is  ALL  is 
Spirit.  Its  activity  is  Life.  Its  attributes 
10 


OMNIPRESENCE. 

are  Love,  Wisdom,  Joy,  Peace,  Wholeness, 
Perfection. 

All  thinking  people  to-day  are  willing 
to  concede  that  back  of  all  the  visible 
universe  there  must  be  an  invisible  cause, 
and  perhaps  no  one  has  given  us  a  clearer 
idea  of  the  Omnipresence  than  Herbert 
Spencer  in  his  statement:  "We  are  for- 
ever in  the  Presence  of  an  Infinite  and 
Eternal  energy  from  which  all  things 
proceed,"  which  corresponds  with  the|Bible 
statement:  "One  God  and  Father  of  all, 
who  is  above  all,  and  through  all  and  in 
you  all." 

Since  Omnipresence  is  all-inclusive  as 
Life,  Substance  and  Intelligence,  the  indi- 
vidual must  help  to  make  up  that  all-inclu- 
sive Life,  and  in  so  far  as  he  is  awake  to 
the  truth  of  this  statement  he  enjoys  the 
fullness  of  the  Omnipresence.  In  carrying 
out  this  wonderful  truth,  that  each  indi- 
vidual helps  to  make  up  this  Omnipresent 
11 


OMXIPRKSENOK. 

Life,  we  can  emphasize  the  statement  of 
Jesus:  "1  and  the  Father  arc  one",  and 
also  "lie  thai  hath  seen  me  hath  seen  the 

Father."  Following  along  in  our  search 
for  truth, we  find, "Heirs of  <l<>d  and  joint 
heirs  with  Christ,"  which  certainly  would 
in  its  ieepest  sense  signify  that  every  liv- 
ing soul  has  tin*  same  inheritance  as  had 
Jesus,  and  reveals  the  Father's  Presence 
as  Life,  Substance  and  Intelligence,  which 
would  cause  all  seekers  for  absolute  Truth 
to  see  the  Omnipresence  in  themselves. 

Taking  the  statement:  "As  the  Father 
hath  life  in  himself;  so  hath  he  given  to 
the  Son  to  hare  life  iii  himself,"  we  are 
forced  to  realize  that  whatever  God  is, 
man  is-  the  same  in  Life  and  Substance, 
and  can  never  be  anything  apart  from  the 
Father.  And  just  as  the  individual  man 
called  Jesus,  discovered  his  identity  with 
God  the  Father  and  caught  the  revelation 
that  "As  the  Father  worketh  hitherto,  I 
12 


OMNIPRESENCE. 

work/1  so  each  individual  may  receive  the 
same  revelation  and  work  as  the  Father 
works  in  the  consciousness  of  Power, 
Wisdom  and  Love. 

In  the  Bible  we  find  verse  after  verse 
verifying  this  truth,  e.  g. :  "The  fullness 
of  Him  that  filleth  all  in  all.  In  Him  we 
live,  move  and  have  our  being.  Do  I  not 
fill  Heaven  and  Earth  saith  the  Lord? 
In  Him  ye  are  complete.  Behold  the 
tabernacle  of  God  is  with  men.  Lo,  I  am 
with  you  always." 

The  more  we  dwell  in  thought  on  the 
Omnipresence,  the  more  we  will  realize 
that  if  we  are  filled  with  this  Divine  Pres- 
ence there  is  no  place  left  for  anything 
unlike,  or  separate  from  the  One  that  is 
All.  Thus  we  see  that  the  substance  of  all 
Life,  visible  or  invisible,  is  one  Substance, 
Spirit ;  pure,  changeless  and  eternal ;  that 
all  Life  is  the  I  )i\  ineLife, always  perfect  in 
action  and  never  dependent  upon  form  oi- 
ls 


OMNirRESBNOE. 

visibility  for  its  continuance.    The  Reality 

of  the  universe  being  the  all-inclusive  Life 
which  is  perfect,  and  including  within 
itself  all  thai  is,  we  limsl  conclude  that 
all  we  see  that  is  unlike  (his  One  Presence 
is  but  seeming.  " Appearance,"  Jesus  called 
it, unreality,  false  conception, and  it  passes 
awav  as  we  become  conscious  of  Truth. 
All  fear  and  worry  in  the  world  is  a  lack 
of  understanding,  therefore,  a  lack  of  faith 
and  trust  in  the  Omnipresence  of  God,  the 
All-Good,  in  which  there  is  no  sin,  sickness, 
disease  or  death.  Taking  this  All-presence 
into  your  thought  as  Divine  Love  pervad- 
ing and  tilling  all,  would  bring  you  into 
realization  of  peace  and  rest  in  greater 
measure  than  any  other  Truth  you  could 
possibly  meditate  upon.  To  become  con- 
scious of  this  Divine  Presence  is  the  one 
thing  needful  today;  to  know  it  as  eternal 
Life,  all-caring  Love,  infinite  Abundance 

14 


OMNIPRESENCE. 

and  all-pervading  Health,  is  the  supreme 
desire  of  every  aspiring  soul. 

As  you  meditate  on  the  eternal  Truth, 
that  the  Infinite  Spirit  of  Love  and  Life 
is  the  reality  of  the  universe,  the  result 
will  be  that  you  will  learn  to  commune 
with  the  Omnipresence,  learn  to  lean  upon 
it,  learn  to  trust  it;  for  in  the  One  that 
includes  all  there  is  an  eye  that  never 
sleeps,  an  ear  that  always  hears.  Let  your- 
self feel  the  companionship  of  Love,  work 
within  yourself  to  feel  the  comradeship 
with  the  All-Good,  not  afar  off,  but  here, 
within  you.  "Acknowledge  me  in  all  thy 
ways,  and  I  will  direct  thy  path."  Form 
the  habit  of  acknowledging  this  One  who 
is  your  very  life  and  substance;  let  the 
Presence  mean  more  and  more  to  you  all 
the  time.  Lean  on  Divine  wisdom  rather 
than  on  human  opinions;  base  all  your 
decisions  upon  this  Presence,  and  give  it 

15 


OMNIPRESENCE. 

your  full  attention  during  your  limes  of 
silence  and  meditation. 

In  order  thai  you  limy  qnickly  realize 
the  truth  of  God  everywhere,  and  to  help 
you  in  the  enlargement  of  consciousness, 
learn  the  "Statement  of  Fundamentals," 
and  "Statement  of  Omnipresence",  and 
systematically  practice  them  each  day, 
thinking  upon  them  earnestly,  and  begin- 
ning each  meditation  with  their  thought- 
ful repetition.  Meditate  also  upon  the 
statements  at  the  end  of  this  lesson  and 
lea™  the  poem.  It  is  advisable  to  study 
each  lesson,  not  merely  reading  it  and 
passing  on  to  the  next.  Do  not  lose,  but 
find  yourself  in  God,  and  endeavor  to 
realize  for  yourself  the  truth  of  the  Omni- 
presence. 

STATEMENTS  FOB   MEDITATION. 

There  is  hut  one  All. 
This  one  that  is  All,  is  the  living  pres- 
ence of  God  everywhere. 

16 


OMNIPRESENCE. 

This  all-inclusive  One  is  Love,  Life, 
Wisdom  and  Power. 

I  am  in  and  a  part  of  this  Presence  now. 

Divine  Life  is  my  life. 

Divine  Health  is  my  health. 

Omnipresent  Strength  sustains  me. 

Omnipresent  Love  enfolds  me  and  flows 
through  me  in  perfect  peace. 

God  is  all  there  really  is  and  I  am  a 
part  of  this  one  great  reality. 


17 


OMNIPRESENCE. 

LEAVE   IT  WITH   HIM. 

"Yes,  Leave  it  with  Bim, 

The  lilies  all  do, 

And  they  grow. 
They  grow  in  the  rain 
And  they  grow  in  the  dew — 
Yes,  they  grow. 
They  grow  in  the  darkness,  all  hid  in  the 

night: 
They  grow  in  11i«'  sunshine,  revealed  by 
the  light- 
Still  they  grow. 
They  ask  not  yonr  planting, 
They  need  not  yonr  care 

As  they  grow. 
Dropped  down  in  the  valley, 
The  field — anywhere, 
There  they  grow. 
They  grow  in  their  beauty  arrayed  in  pure 
white : 

18 


OMNIPRESENCE. 

They  grow  clothed  in  glory  by  heaven's 
own  light — 

Sweetly  grow. 
The  grasses  are  clothed 
And  the  ravens  are  fed 

From  His  store: 
But  you,  who  are  loved 
And  guarded  and  led — 
How  much  more 
Will  He  clothe  you  and  feed  you  and  give 

you  His  care. 
Then  leave  it  with  Him;  He  has,  every- 
where, 

Ample  store. 
Yes,  leave  it  with  Him ; 
You're  more  dear  to  His  heart 

You  will  know, 
Than  the  lilies  that  bloom 
Or  the  flowers  that  start 
'Neath  the  snow. 
Whatever  you  need,  if  you  ask  it  in  prayer, 
19 


OMNIPRESENCE. 

You  can  leave  it  with  Him,  for  you  are 

His  care — 

You,  you  know." 


20 


II. 

REALIZATION. 

The  need  of  a  clear  perception  of  reality 
is  felt  nowhere  more  strongly  than  in  be- 
ginning the  study  of  Divine  Science.  Many 
of  us  have  been  instructed  since  childhood 
in  beliefs  which  we  now  find  it  necessary 
to  dismiss,  and  there  may  be  a  slight  tend- 
ency to  confusion  in  thought.  Wherefore, 
it  becomes  necessary  to  outline  clearly  just 
what  it  is  that  we  need  to  realize,  and 
then  to  indicate  various  means  and  aids 
to  realization. 

To  realize  is  to  make  tangible,  to  bring 
into  existence  and  possession.  Keeping 
this  point  in  mind,  let  us  see  what  it  is 
that  we  desire  to  realize.  It  should  be  our 
endeavor  to  make  the  Omnipresence  of 
God  a  tangible  reality.  We  should  seek 
21 


REALIZATION. 

to  realize  the  Father's  Presence  in  the. 
following  forms:  first,  as  Life — the  only 
and  eternal  Life  everywhere;  second,  as 
Love — perfect  Love  which  is  the  only  law 
of  the  universe;  third,  as  Substance — 
living  Spirit,  Substance,  expressed  in 
infinite  variety  of  forms;  and  fourth,  as 
Health — abounding  Health.  The  Father's 
Presence  comprises  all  that  an  individual 
soul  wants  or  could  possibly  desire,  and 
with  the  realization  of  that  presence  conies 
peace,  trust  and  confidence,  and  a  letting 
go  of  all  doubt,  fear,  worry  and  anxiety. 
We  are  constantly  expressing  that  which 
we  realize.  All  of  the  Life  and  Health  we 
are  expressing  is  the  Life  and  Health  of 
God.  All  that  we  are,  is  really  this  great 
Infinite  Presence  in  expression.  We  must 
necessarily  know  these  things  because  we 
are  expressing  them  in  some  degree  all  the 
time.  Bnt,  the  fuller  the  realization,  the 
higher  the  degree  of  expression  ;  and  since 
22 


REALIZATION. 

expression  of  the  attributes  of  God  is  our 
goal,  we  must  earnestly  seek  realization. 
This  Omnipresence  being-  the  reality  of 
the  universe,  the  appearances  of  death  and 
disease  that  surround  us  are  not  reality ; 
but  back  of  them  is  the  reality  which  can 
be  made  so  true  to  the  soul  that  there  can 
never  be  any  doubt  of  it.  Back  of  all 
the  changing  appearance  is  the  unseen 
Presence,  continually  moving  upon,  in 
and  through  the  external.  The  reality  of 
you  and  of  me  is  this  Presence,  which  is 
Love,  Life,  Spirit,  Substance  and  Health. 
This  is  what  we  are  to  realize. 

Decision  is  an  important  factor  in  reali- 
zation. We  can  never  realize  in  its  fullness 
that  which  we  doubt  or  deny,  or  concerning 
which  we  have  the  slightest  indecision. 
Hence  the  first  aid  to  realization  is  to 
decide  that  God  is,  and  to  believe  and 
affirm  this  truth  constantly.  Realization 
is  faith  made  manifest,  and  in  the  degree 

23 


REALIZATION. 

thai  we  lay  hold  on  truth  and  make  it 
our  own,  we  realize  in  concrete  form  the 
invisible  truth  in  which  we  place  our  faith. 
To  waver  is  to  cast  the  first  shadow  on 
realization,  while  to  believe  firmly  is  to 
take  the  first   step  in  realization. 

Now,  faith  is  a  positive  attribute  that 
we  are  constantly  exhibiting  in  one  way 
or  another.  We  may  have  faith  in  good 
or  faith  in  evil,  but  faith  we  surely  have. 
Remembering  that  we  realize  that  in 
which  Ave  have  faith,  we  see  how  necessary 
it  becomes  to  exercise  faith  in  the  right 
direction.  "Fear  and  worry  are  faith  in 
evil.  Courage  is  faith  in  good.''  Constant  ly 
affirm  faith  in  Life,  Love,  Spirit  and 
Health  if  you  would  realize  these  attri- 
butes of  God  and  of  your  true  self. 

Whatever  we  dwell  upon  in  thought 
becomes  a  reality  to  us.  That  which  we 
dwell  upon  most  and  strongest  is  soonest 
realized.     We  are  in  a  continuous  growth 

24 


REALIZATION. 

of  realization,  getting  tangible  results  of 
our  thoughts.  If  we  are  dwelling  much 
on  health,  harmony,  peace  and  happiness, 
we  will  find  that  they  will  become  such  a 
reality  to  us  that  they  will  exclude  sin, 
sickness  and  evil  from  our  thought.  This 
should  always  be  our  attitude.  "I  have 
set  before  you  life  and  death,  blessing  and 
cursing;  therefore  choose  life,  that  both 
thou  and  thy  seed  may  live."  (Deut. 
30-19.)  We  need  to  inquire  diligently 
into  our  own  minds  and  see  what  we  are 
dwelling  on  most,  and  choose  life  that  we 
may  live.  If  we  hold  strongly  to  the  idea 
of  the  power  of  the  Omnipresence  and  our 
unity  with  it,  we  must  ultimately  realize 
truth  and  forget  the  shadows  of  unreality. 
This  applies  to  our  attitude  towards  others 
as  well  as  to  ourselves.  We  should  always 
see  only  the  good  in  others,  and  purify  our 
own  conscious  thought  so  that  our  very 
presence  will  be  a  blessing.     Remember 

26 


REALIZATION. 

that  the  sun  goes  on  its  way  expressing 
nothing  but  its  own  perfect  light;it  knows 
no  darkness,  neither  can  anything  else 
know  darkness  in  its  presence. 

Another  strong  aid  to  realization  is  what 
is  called  the  silence.  This,  as  the  name 
indicates,  is  a  silent  period  of  meditation 
and  concentration  for  the  purpose  of 
coming  face  to  face  with  the  invisible 
Presence  within ;  that  in  this  inner  still- 
ness we  may  be  able  to  feel  and  know  this 
Presence  with  us  always.  No  one  can  get 
the  consciousness  of  this  presence  for  us 
and  we  cannot  get  it  without  effort.  It 
is  by  thus  training  the  thought  to  concen- 
tration, that  we  come  to  know  the  reality 
of  the  universe  in  which  we  as  Spirit  Sub- 
stance, live,  move  and  have  our  being.  It 
is  in  the  silence  that  we  realize  that  we  are 
one  with  this  reality  that  lies  back  of  all 
external  form. 

26 


REALIZATION. 

The  silence  is  a  period  of  withdrawal 
from  the  external  and  of  concentration 
on  the  inner  truth.  It  is  well  to  observe  it 
at  a  certain  time  each  day,  and  if  possible, 
at  a  certain  place.  Since  God  is  a  silent, 
invisible  Presence,  we  do  not  seek  to  real- 
ize Him  in  the  noise  and  confusion  of  the 
outer  world,  but  rather  in  the  quiet  and 
stillness  back  of  the  external.  Yet  when  we 
know  how  to  turn  to  this  inner  Presence, 
we  can  be  in  the  midst  of  noise  and  clamor 
and  still  come  into  touch  with  the  Omni- 
presence. 

Take  some  simple  statement  into  the 
silence  and  concentrate  the  thought  upon 
it.  Sometimes  just  one  statement  will 
bring  us  into  a  full  realization  of  the 
Truth.  "Thou  art  the  only  Presence."  "I 
am  filled  with  the  peace  of  the  one  Pres- 
ence." "My  eye  is  single  to  truth,  there- 
fore my  whole  body  is  full  of  light."  These 
and  many  others  are  good  statements  for 

27 


REALIZATION. 

silent   concentration,  and   will    bring  us 
into  a  realization  of  truth. 

The  law  of  divine  action  is,  that  we 
manifest  externally  whatever  we  dwell 
upon  in  thought.  Let  us  then  practice  for 
realization.  We  are  to  endeavor  to  realize 
that  we  are  spirit  and  immortal,  therefore 
we  are  one  with  the  eternal  reality  which 
fills  heaven  and  earth  with  its  Presence 
and  power.  We  will  realize  it  if  we  let  our 
thought  dwell  in  faith  on  spiritual  things. 
Let  us  think  on  the  statements  that  follow 
this  lesson;  dwell  on  them  until  they  mean 
a  great  deal  to  us.  Let  us  practice  also  the 
right  use  of  the  expression  "I  am."  We 
are  continually  affirming  in  our  conversa- 
tion that  "I  am"  thus  and  so.  We  must  be 
careful  to  make  only  positive  affirmations, 
such  as  "I  am  well,"  "1  am  strong,"  "I  am 
happy,"  "I  am  life,"  "I  am  spirit,"  etc., 
and  avoid  such  very  common  erroneous 
statements  as  "I  am  weak,"  "I  am  afraid," 

28 


REALIZATION. 

"I  am  sick,"  etc.  Whatever  God  is,  we 
are.  It  is  therefore  untrue  to  affirm  of 
our  real  selves  those  things  that  we  would 
not  and  could  not  affirm  of  God.  The 
Divine  in  us  is  now  possessed  of  all  perfect 
attributes,  which  we  are  to  realize  and 
express. 

STATEMENTS  FOR  MEDITATION. 

I  am  calm,  strong  and  serene. 

I  am  joyous,  fearless  and  free. 

All  that  I  am  is  eternal  in  God. 

The  Lord  my  God  in  the  midst  of  me  is 
mighty. 

Life,  full  and  free  is  flowing  through  me 
now. 

My  body  is  the  temple  of  the  living  God. 

It  is  filled  with  grace  and  truth. 

Its  substance  is  Spirit, — eternal  and 
changeless. 

I  rest  in  this  Truth  and  it  makes  me 
free. 


29 


REALIZATION. 


AN  INWARD  STILLNESS. 

Let  us  labor  then  for  an  inward  stillness, 
An  inward  stillness  and  an  inward  heal- 
ing; 
That  perfect  silence  where  the  lips  and 

heart 
Are  still,  and  we  no  longer  entertain 
Our   own   imperfect   thoughts   and   vain 

opinions, 
But  God  alone  speaks  in  us,  and  we  wait 
In  singleness  of  heart,  that  we  may  know 
His  will  and,  in  the  silence  of  our  spirits, 
That  we  may  do  His  will,  and  do  that  only. 

— Longfellow. 


30 


III. 

OVERCOMING. 

In  its  commonly  accepted  meaning  the 
term  overcoming  suggests  contest,  conten- 
tion and  strife  for  the  accomplishment  of 
a  desired  end.  This  conception  has  been 
carried  even  into  the  old  thought  pertain- 
ing to  the  religious  life,  which  has  been 
regarded  as  a  sort  of  continual  warfare 
between  Good  and  evil,  with  great  stress 
laid  on  the  necessity  of  combating  the 
latter  in  order  to  attain  the  former.  In 
the  light  of  Truth  we  have  seen  that  this 
false  conception  arises  from  the  fact  that 
man  has  regarded  evil  as  an  entity  and  has 
given  it  almost  equal  power  with  Good. 
Hence  the  alleged  necessity  of  fighting 
against  evil. 

That  no  such  conception  of  overcoming 
was  a  part  of  the  teaching  of  Jesus  and  the 

31 


OVERCOMING. 

disciples  who  understood  him,  is  evident 
from  the  "Bible  references  to  this  subject. 
The  manner  of*  overcoming  is  clearly  indi- 
cated in  the  instruction  to  "overcome  evil 
with  Good."  Again,  "For  whatsoever  is 
horn  of  God  overcometh  the  world;  and 
this  is  the  victory  that  overcometh  the 
world,  even  our  faith.  Who  is  he  that 
overcometh  the  world  but  he  that  believeth 
that  Jesus  is  the  Son  of  God."  Here  we 
find  only  faith  in  the  Good  mentioned  as 
means  for  overcoming;  no  suggestion  of 
strife  or  warfare,  and  no  recognition  of 
evil  as  a  power  to  strive  against. 

Nevertheless,  the  query  may  frequent  Iv 
come  to  the  new  student 'of  Divine  Science, 
How  am  I  to  overcome  what  is  spoken  of 
as  "the  world"  or  "evil"?  Even  though 
we  may  know  that  in  Truth  we  are  free 
from  the  bondage  of  error,  the  way  to 
realization  of  freedom  is  not  always  clear. 
Frequently  this  slight  confusion  is  due  to 

32 


OVERCOMING. 

the  fact  that  previously  acquired  beliefs 
have  not  been  discarded,  so  that  the 
thought  is  mixed.  "It  is  almost  as  diffi- 
cult to  make  a  man  un-learn  his  errors  as 
his  knowledge.  Mal-information  is  more 
hopeless  than  non-information ;  for  error 
is  always  more  busy  than  ignorance. 
Ignorance  is  a  blank  sheet  on  which  we 
may  write,  but  error  is  a  scribbled  one  on 
which  we  must  first  erase.  Ignorance  is 
contented  to  stand  still  with  her  back  to 
the  Truth,  but-  error  is  more  presump- 
tuous and  proceeds  in  the  same  direction. 
Ignorance  has  no  light,  but  error  follows 
a  false  one.  The  consequence  is  that  error, 
when  she  retraces  her  footsteps,  has  far- 
ther to  go  before  she  can  arrive  at  the 
Truth,  than  ignorance." 

Perhaps  it  would  clear  the  whole  matter 

somewhat  if  we  first  understand  just  what 

il  is  that  we  have  to  overcome.  Overcoming 

is  training  all  the  faculties  and  senses  to 

33 


OVERCOMING. 

look  always  for  the  Truth,  to  conquer  evil 
i>y  knowing  ii  Dot.  They  arc,  therefore, 
only  negative  conditions  that  we  have  to 
overcome  and  we  do  this  by  knowing  the 
Truth  of  their  positive  opposites.  Negative 
conceptions  and  beliefs  have  no  reality  or 
entity,  but  exist  only  in  man's  mentality, 
and  are  overcome  by  control  of  the  thought, 
keeping  it  directed  along  positive  lines. 
Thus  we  overcome  false  beliefs  with  posi- 
tive declarations  of  the  Truth;  we  dispel 
darkness  with  light;  we  replace  disorder 
with  order,  and  unrest  with  peace.  Health 
is  manifested  where  before  disease  held 
sway,  and  Love  shows  forth  instead  of 
hatred. 

Healing  and  overcoming  are  one  and 
the  same.  Healing  the  body  of  disease  is 
overcoming  belief  of  error  in  the  thought. 
Hence  we  see  that  speaking  the  Truth  and 
bringing  it  into  consciousness  is  all  that 
is  needed  to  heal  or  overcome.     In  fact, 

34 


OVERCOMING. 

the  mentality  is  all  that  needs  healing  in 
any  instance,  whether  of  belief  in  bodily 
disease,  mental  discomfort  or  material 
lack.  Again,  anyone  who  can  speak  the 
Truth  can  heal,  although  it  is  not  merely 
speaking  the  Word  that  heals,  but  rather 
the  conviction  that  it  is  the  Truth.  We 
should  know  positively  and  beyond  any 
shadow  of  doubt  that  Truth  is  health,  joy, 
peace,  harmony  and  love,  and  that  to  bring 
these  qualities  into  consciousness  will 
ultimately  result  in  their  outer  manifesta- 
tion. Then,  and  in  this  way  only,  we  will 
have  overcome  negation,  by  knowing  it 
not  and  by  knowing  the  Truth. 

It  is  better  to  overcome  than  to  endure. 
Patience  ceases  to  be  a  virtue  when  we 
endure  discomfort  and  disease  rather  than 
take  a  positive  stand  in  favor  of  Truth  and 
Health.  We  make  disease  and  inharmony 
a  great  reality  to  us  by  giving  thought 
thereto  and  by  our  fear  of  them.  We  need 
35 


OVERCOMING. 

to  get  our  thought  on  positive  lines  and 
when  our  thinking  ;in<l  speaking  corre- 
spond (<>  the  Truth  <>f  qur  Being  there  will 
be  no  need  of  overcoming  for  ourselves. 
Through  our  own  thought  we  are  to  over- 
come everything  (hat  hinders  the  percep- 
tion of  the  Divine  within  us. 

As  has  been  stated  before,  the  Truth  of 
our  Being  is  perfect  wholeness;  we  have 
within  us  the  perfect  attributes  of  the 
Divine  of  which  we  are  a  part.  To  realize 
this  perfection  and  wholeness  is  our  aim, 
for  that  would  give  us  lives  of  health  and 
harmony.  Let  us  consider  briefly  some 
of  the  false  beliefs  that  stand  in  our  way 
and  which  we  are  to  overcome  by  seeing 
their  unreality. 

A  strong  misconception  exists  regarding 
what  is  commonly  called  the  "temper"  or 
disposition  of  a  person;  and  the  belief  in 
"bad  temper'*  is  only  less  insistent  than 
the  feeling  that  it  must  be  overcome  by 

30 


OVERCOMING. 

fighting  against  it.  Here  we  have  an 
instance  of  a  misconception  arising  from 
a  conniption  in  the  use  of  a  word.  The 
word  "temper"  comes  from  the  Latin, 
meaning  "to  mix  in  proper  proportions,  to 
qualify  and  regulate,1'  and  is  used  in  its 
true  meaning  in  the  sentence  "He  tempers 
the  wind  to  the  shorn  lamb."  Hence  in 
its  application  to  the  state  of  mind  of  the 
individual,  the  true  meaning  of  "temper" 
is  the  harmonious  blending  of  thought  that 
produces  an  even  tenor  of  life.  Webster 
says  that  "the  use  of  the  words  bad  or 
violent  temper  is  a  deviation  from  the 
original  meaning",  although  they  are  com- 
monly so  used. 

We  see  then  that  in  Truth  there  is  no 
"bad  temper"  to  overcome.  There  cannot 
be  a  negative  and  positive  form  of  temper 
any  more  than  there  are  degrees  of  health, 
such  as  good  and  bad.  All  health  is  good 
health,  and  all  temper  is  good  temper ;  but 

37 


OVERCOMING. 

we  manifest  only  us  much  of  either  ;is  we 
are  conscious  of.  The  temper  of  our  own 
mind  then,  which  is  of  the  one  Mind,  is 
calm,  even,  serene,  poised,  peaceful  and 
harmonious,  and  evil  does  not  exist  in 
it  at  all.  To  overcome  any  false  belief 
regarding  our  temper,  know  the  Truth  and 
reality  of  it  which  has  just  been  stated. 
Abiding  in  the  consciousness  of  this 
Truth,  all  false  evidence  must  pass  away 
from  our  thought.  We  take  the  matter  up 
earnestly  in  the  silence  and  fortify  our- 
selves with  a  simple  statement  designed  to 
eliminate  this  belief  of  evil  temper,  such 
as  "God  is  love  and  love  is  my  true  nature ; 
love  never  fails."  In  this  way  we  will 
soon  find  that  we  have  not  a  reality  to 
overcome,  but  a  belief,  and  we  will  realize 
the  inner  peace. 

Some  of  the  other  beliefs  about  our 
Divine  and  perfect  selves,  which  are  to 
be  overcome  are  inefficiency,  selfishness, 

38 


OVERCOMING. 

fear,  sensitiveness,  ingratitude,  self-pity, 
etc.,  etc.  They  are  all  to  be  overcome  in 
the  same  manner  as  indicated  above,  viz., 
by  seeing  their  unreal  and  untrue  nature, 
as  nothing  but  false  beliefs ;  and  by  culti- 
vating and  declaring  our  true  nature. 
Thus  is  unreality  overcome  by  Truth. 

Just  as  we  can  overcome  these  false 
conceptions  in  ourselves  so  may  we  remove 
them  from  the  lives  of  others.  There  is  a 
tendency  to  resist  the  faults  of  others  and 
condemn  them.  But  we  need  scarcely  say 
that  this  is  not  the  right  way  to  meet  them. 
They  may  be  eliminated  from  mentality 
by  recognizing  the  Truth  concerning  them. 
This  is  practically  what  is  meant  by  the 
injunction  "Be  not  overcome  with  evil,  but 
overcome  evil  with  good." 

Thoughts  are  unexpressed  words  and 
are  to  be  guarded  and  kept  pure  if  all 
inharmony  in  the  external  is  to  be  over- 
come forever.    Our  beliefs  are  continually 

39 


OVERCOMING. 

"bearing  witness"  in  the  external,  and 

the  visible  reveals  the  invisible  thought. 
"There  is  nothing  hidden  that  shall  not 
be  revealed."  False  beliefs  reveal  them- 
selves as  negation  in  various  forms,  as  the 
absence  of  Truth. 

To  look  always  for  the  Truth  will  pre- 
vent any  possible  vision  of  error.  Know 
the  Truth  about  all  things  if  you  would 
overcome  "the  world."  The  Truth  of  you 
is  your  divinity.  The  Truth  of  your  body 
is  its  health.  The  Truth  of  yonr  neighbor 
is  his  inherent  goodness.  The  Truth  of 
every  problem  is  its  conformity  to  Prin- 
ciple. The  Truth  of  your  life  is  its  integ- 
rity. The  Truth  of  the  universe  is  its 
unity. 

Back  of  all  created  things  does  stand 
the  Truth,  the  reality,  and  no  appearance 
of  evil  can  harm  it.  Discord  never  affected 
harmony  and  error  never  can  harm  Truth. 
We  must  look  deep  for  Truth,  search  for 

40 


OVERCOMING. 

it  earnestly  and  resolutely,  determined  to 
find  in  it  an  answer  to  every  problem  of 
life.  That  is  the  only  way  that  appear- 
ances, false  beliefs  and  misconceptions  can 
be  overcome.  "And  ye  shall  know  the 
Truth  and  the  Truth  shall  make  you  free." 
"Howbeit  when  he,  the  Spirit  of  Truth,  is 
come,  He  will  guide  you  into  all  Truth." 

STATEMENTS  FOR  MEDITATION. 

Of  all  that  God  has  given  me  I  can  lose 
nothing. 

The  gift  of  God  is  eternal  life. 

God  has  given  me  strength. 

God  has  given  me  health. 

God  has  given  me  faith. 

God  has  given  me  wisdom. 

God  has  given  me  love. 

God  has  given  me  peace. 

God  has  given  me  a  perfect  body. 

All  things  that  the  Father  hath  are 
mine;  I  cannot  lose  them. 

41 


OVERCOMING. 

These  words  are  Spirit  and  they  are 
Life. 

All  mine  are  thine  and  all  thine  are 
mine. 

These  words  shall  not  pass  away. 


42 


OVERCOMING. 

IN  THE  RUSH. 

In  the  rush 

Just  hush 
And  listen  to  the  voice 
Saying  "Peace ! 

Oh  cease 
All  worry ;  just  rejoice." 

Work  away 
All  day, 
'Mid  the  noise  and  the  zest; 
But  within, 

No  din — 
Just  a  sweet,  still  rest. 

There's  a  dim 

Faint  hymn 
'Mid  the  noise  of  the  throng. 
In  the  rush, 

Just  hush 
And  listen  to  the  song. 

— Myrtle  K.  Cherryman. 

43 


IV. 
APPLICATION. 

"There  is  a  spirit  within  man  and  the 
inspiration  of  the  Almighty  giveth  him 
understanding." 

In  beginning  this  lesson  take  the  above 
statement  into  the  silence,  so  that  you  may 
come  into  the  unity  of  the  spirit  and  feel 
there  is  nothing-  but  love  in  the  universe, 
that  we  are  all  one  in  the  eternal  Presence. 
There  is  only  one  God  and  God  manifest, 
and  the  inspiration  of  the  Spirit  giveth  you 
this  knowledge.  It  is  just  as  necessary  to 
receive  the  inspiration  of  the  Holy  Spirit 
in  order  to  hear,  as  it  is  to  give  forth  the 
Truth ;  to  hear  as  it  is  to  speak.  For  if  we 
do  not  have  inspiration  to  hear  and  receive 
words  others  speak,  they  fall  on  deaf  ears; 
but  when  we  are  inspired  to  hear,  all 
Truth  will  come  to  us  as  an  inner  revela- 

44 


APPLICATION. 

tion.  In  reality  there  is  but  one  to  speak 
and  one  to  hear.  Repeat  often  "The 
inspiration  of  the  Almighty  giveth  me 
understanding."  No  matter  what  your 
work  may  be,  the  Spirit  within  you  will 
give  you  understanding  to  do  it  well  if 
you  turn  to  that  Spirit  in  perfect  faith.  If 
we  have  lacked  understanding  it  is  because 
we  have  not  turned  to  the  Spirit  within  us 
but  have  relied  on  objective  aid.  As  we 
turn  to  this  Spirit  we  find  our  work  will 
become  easy,  because  the  Spirit  is  con- 
stantly giving  us  understanding  to  meet 
every  problem.  There  is  nothing  that  the 
Spirit  cannot  supply,  no  disease  which 
the  Spirit  cannot  heal ;  no  problem  which 
cannot  be  solved  when  we  are  inspired  by 
the  Spirit.  There  is  nothing  too  low  or  too 
humble  for  the  inspiration  of  the  Almighty 
to  help  us  solve.  It  is  only  because  we 
work  ignorantly,  without  the  inspiration 
of  the  Almighty,  that  we  fail.     Divine 

45 


APPLICATION. 

understanding  never  fails.    Truth  never 
fails. 

What  should  be  the  object  of  our  lives 
after  we  take  up  the  study  of  Truth?  The 
object  and  purpose  of  every  life  should 
be  to  make  Good,  or  God,  manifest.  To 
make  God  manifest  is  to  bring  into  visible 
expression  that  which  is  eternally  true. 
That  is  what  we  are  here  for.  Jesus  said  : 
"For  this  cause  came  I  into  the  world,  that 
I  might  bear  witness  to  the  Truth,"  and 
each  soul  can  make  this  same  statement. 
We  are  not  here  to  get,  but  to  make  mani- 
fest the  eternal  truths  which  are  in  God. 
This  should  be  the  main  object  of  our  lives 
from  this  moment.  As  we  do  this;  as  we 
make  God  manifest;  as  we  bear  witness 
to  the  Truth  of  our  real  nature,  we  will 
come  into  peace.  The  fullness  of  Good  is 
potentially  in  every  living  soul.  It  is  not 
absorbed  from  the  external ;  it  is  unfolded 
by  the  universal  law  of  growth.  We  have 

46 


APPLICATION. 

the  Christ  within  us,  and  we  are  to  unfold 
that  Christ.  We  in  our  true  eternal  state 
are  perfect.  The  Christ  within  us  is  Truth, 
and  when  we  have  made  this  manifest  we 
shall  go  forth  from  glory  to  glory.  We  do 
not  create  this  glory,  this  consciousness; 
it  is  all  there  to  be  unfolded.  We  do  not 
create  God  within  us,  nor  the  perfect  life 
and  substance;  we  simply  manifest  them. 

I  hear  you  say,  "How  am  I  to  do  this? 
Make  it  so  simple  that  I  too  may  come 
into  this  consciousness."  There  are  three 
steps  by  which  we  unfold  into  this  con- 
sciousness. 

First:  By  recognizing  God,  infinite 
Good,  everywhere.  This  is  our  basis. 

Second:  By  claiming  this  divinity 
within  ourselves;  by  claiming  all  the 
attributes  of  God  as  belonging  to  us. 
What  God  is  we  are. 

Third :  By  manifesting  outwardly  or  in 
the  visible,  what  we  know  ourselves  to  be 

47 


APPLICATION. 

in  the  invisible.  As  we  know  our  divinity 
we  make  it  manifest. 

Now  God  is  Life,  Love,  Truth,  Intelli- 
gence, Perfection, /and  since  God  is  omni- 
present, then  all  that  God  is,  is  everywhere 
present.  lint  no  one  has  seen  Life.  We  see 
its  manifestation  everywhere,  we  see  it s 
activity ;  but  we  do  not  see  Life  itself.  No 
one  has  ever  seen  electricity;  but  we  see 
all  about  us  its  activity, its  manifestations. 
No  one  has  ever  seen  wisdom ;  but  we  have 
seen  the  manifest  at  ions  of  wisdom.  We  do 
not  see  the  mind,  the  intelligence  which 
brought  forth  the  wisdom;  but  we  recog- 
nize the  invisible  by  its  manifestation 
always. 

People  say  they  will  not  believe  in 
anything  they  cannot  see,  yet  they  are  at 
all  times  believing  in  things  they  have 
never  seen.  We  have  to  believe  in  Infinite 
Presence  and  power  because  we  see  its 
manifestation  everywhere.    We  never  see 

48 


APPLICATION. 

that  which  produces  the  visible,  so  the 
only  way  we  can  recognize  this  great  silent 
invisible  Presence  is  through  its  outer 
manifestation. 

We  are  willing  to  recognize  the  Divine 
Mind  as  a  great  first  cause.  We  do  not  see 
the  external  as  the  real  Cause.  We  do  not 
see  the  external  as  the  cause  of  any  action. 
We  formerly  believed  that  the  body  was  a 
cause;  that  it  was  constantly  creating 
conditions  of  health  or  of  disease;  but 
now  we  know  that  this  is  not  true.  We 
know  that  Mind  is  the  only  creative  power 
in  the  universe.  The  primal  cause  of 
activity  is  Mind,  yet  we  do  not  seem  will- 
ing to  say  that  Mind  is  the  only  power 
working  in  our  lives  and  bodies.  Yet  in 
truth  Mind  is  the  only  power  working  in 
our  lives  to-day.  If  our  environment  is 
filled  with  love,  peace  and  harmony,  we 
may  know  that  it  is  because  in  our  silent 
thought  and  outer  words  we  are  conform- 

49 


APPLICATION. 

ing  to  the  principle  of  peace,  love,  and 
harmony  that  is  the  reality  of  the  uni- 
verse. If,  however,  our  environment  is 
inharmonious,  we  may  know  that  the 
change  must  come  through  an  inner 
change  of  thought.  Fear  contracts  and 
love  expands,  so  as  we  change  in  our 
thought  we  find  love  expanding  where 
before  fear  was  contracting.  That  is  why 
it  is  so  necessary  to  keep  our  thoughts  in 
peace  and  harmony,  in  order  that  love 
may  show  forth  in  our  environment. 

A  personal  experience  more  clearly 
illustrates  the  point : 

Some  years  ago,  after  studying  along 
this  line  for  some  time,  earnestly  trying 
to  put  into  application  the  principles  I 
had  learned,  I  felt  that  I  was  not  mani- 
festing all  I  should.  I  asked  a  teacher  if 
she  could  explain  the  difficulty.  I  said : 
"Why  is  it  that  I  do  not  make  manifest  this 
truth   I    believe   in   so  earnestly?"     She 

50 


APPLICATION. 

replied,  "I  cannot  imagine  you  doing  any- 
thing really  wrong,  but  I  believe  that  you 
are  negatively  good."  Her  words  came 
home  to  me  with  such  force  that  I  knew 
she  had  spoken  the  truth.  I  had  been 
trying  to  overcome  undesirable  things  in 
my  life,  but  I  had  not  been  positively 
bringing  into  manifestation  the  qualities 
of  the  Divine.  We  must  positively  work 
for  the  truth  and  bring  it  forth  in  every- 
thing in  our  lives.  A  great  many  are  not 
doing  anything  positively  wrong,  neither 
are  they  doing  anything  positively  good. 
They  may  be  in  a  state  of  peace  because 
they  keep  their  thought  poised,  but  they 
are  not  a  conscious  manifestation  of  good. 
Let  us  not  be  negatively  good,  but  filled 
with  the  power  of  the  Spirit  to  apply  this 
Truth.  Let  us  love  for  love's  sake,  to 
express  the  divinity  within  us.  Let  us 
manifest  love,  not  in  order  to  get,  but  that 

51 


APPLICATION. 

we  may  bear  witness  to  the  Truth.  When 
we  <1<>  anything  for  a  return  we  are  not 
doing-  it  in  love.  We  are  to  do  the  loving 
thing  without  any  thought  of  return.  It 
is  our  nature  to  love;  to  radiate  peace  and 
harmony  all  the  time.  We  are  to  do  this 
in  order  that  we  may  bear  witness  to  the 
Truth. 

The  Omn  ipresence  of  good  is  in  a  positive 
state  of  harmony,  health  and  perfection 
always.  We  show  forth  negative  condi- 
tions because  we  think  of  them ;  we  believe 
in  them.  They  seem  to  be  real  to  us. 
Consider  for  a  moment  the  daily  condition 
of  your  life.  Do  you  have  calmness  and 
harmony  in  your  home?  If  not,  turn 
within  and  make  a  change  there.  We 
never  get  anywhere  by  working  with 
externals.  WTe  should  bring  out  that  which 
we  know  to  be  within.  We  must  declare 
the  truth  of  our  divinity.  We  are  declaring 
something  all  the  time  and  our  lives  show 

52 


APPLICATION. 

what  we  are  declaring.  Whatever  our 
declarations  are,  we  may  be  sure  they  are 
going  to  bear  fruit.  Whatever  we  are 
sowing  in  thought,  that  will  the  harvest 
be.  What  we  are  really  conscious  of,  we 
must  manifest.  From  within,  out,  is  the 
law. 

If  we  want  to  change  all  our  old  ways  of 
thought  and  make  God  manifest,  we  begin 
by  speaking  words  which  we  know  to  be 
the  truth  of  our  real  being.  WTe  desert  the 
old  words  of  negation,  and  begin  to  prac- 
tice the  presence  of  God,  the  "I  am."  We 
may  not  know  it,  but  we  have  our  own 
true  name  which  God  has  given  us  from 
the  beginning,  and  that  name  is  "I  am." 
Whatever  we  declare  in  that  name  is  made 
manifest  to  us,  and  we  continually  speak 
in  that  name.  The  Bible  says:  "Thou 
shalt  not  take  the  name  of  the  Lord  thy 
God  in  vain ;  for  the  Lord  will  not  hold  him 
guiltless  that  taketh  His  name  in  vain." 

53 


APPLICATION. 

Whenever  we  declare  a  negative  condition 
in  llit'  name  of  "I  am"  we  are  bringing 
that  condition  into  manifestation.  When 
we  hear  people  say,  "I  am  sick !"  we  think 
within  ourselves,  How  could  "I  am"  be 
sick.  The  "I  am"  is  never  sick;  is  never 
weak;  is  never  miserable;  is  never  in  poor 
health.  The  Spirit  of  God  in  us  is  always 
whole.  We  must  get  this  impressed  upon 
us  so  strongly  that  we  will  never  again 
take  the  name  of  the  Lord  our  God  in  vain. 
Never  couple  negative  statements  with  "I 
am."  Our  negative  statements  do  not 
change  the  "I  am"  but  they  make  us  feel 
sick,  weak  and  uncomfortable. 

We  need  to  begin  right  at  the  beginning, 
right  at  the  "I  am"  to  apply  truth.  We  go 
back  of  effect  to  our  real  being.  Change 
in  thought  produces  corresponding  change 
in  the  externa.l.  When  we  dwell  in  thought 
upon  the  Truth  we  necessarily  express  our 
divine  nature.  When   we  think  only  the 

54 


APPLICATION. 

thoughts  of  God  after  Him  we  shall  have 
perfect  harmony  in  our  lives ;  then  we  will 
so  know  the  truth  that  we  cannot  help  but 
manifest  it.  All  the  ills  of  life  arise  from 
false  thinking  and  false  speaking  and  they 
must  vanish  as  we  think  and  speak  the 
Truth. 

STATEMENTS  FOR  MEDITATION. 

I  am  now  the  pure  and  perfect  child  of 
the  living  God. 

I  am  holy  in  every  part  of  my  being. 

I  am  filled  with  the  Spirit  of  Almighty 
God. 

I  am  strong  with  the  strength  of 
Omnipotence. 

I  am  established  forever  in  endless 
health  and  harmony. 

The  glory  of  God  shines  round  about  me. 

I  am  balanced  in  the  Good. 

I  reveal  my  divine  self  in  mind,  thought 
and  body. 

55 


APPLICATION. 


I  inn  pure  Spirit,  pure  Love. 

I  ;i in  a  living  witness  of  the  power  of 

the  Word  of  Truth  to  set  free. 


56 


APPLICATION. 


WHEKE  SHALL  I  SOW  MY  SEED? 

"Angel  of  the  Spring-time,"  said  she, 
"Show  me  where  to  sow  my  grain ; 

Shall  I  plant  it  'round  my  door-step, 

Or  afar  there  on  the  plain?" 

"At  thy  feet !"  the  angel  answered ; 
"Sow  at  once  thy  nearest  field ; 

First  thy  door-yard,  then  beyond  it ; 

Let  new  fields,  new  furrows  yield. 

Fill  the  nearest  spot  with  gladness, 
Fill  thy  home  with  goodness  sweet ; 
Wider  fields  shall  ask  thy  sowing, 
If  thou  first  sow  at  thy  feet. 

Thus  for  thee  shall  widening  harvests 
Wave  their  manifolding  grain, 
Till  the  sixty-fold,  the  hundred, 
Gild  the  door-yard  and  the  plain." 


57 


V. 
HELPING   OTHERS. 

It  is  desirable  above  all  things  for  the 
student  to  get  the  idea  that  these  teach- 
ings are  practical  in  their  application. 
But  in  order  to  develop  them  fully  he  must 
understand  that  giving  is  as  great  and 
necessary  a  part  as  receiving,  and  that  his 
own  unfoldinent  is  aided  greatly  by  trying 
to  help  others  attain  to  a  knowledge  of  the 
truth. 

While  a  receptive  attitude  is  always 
necessary  to  secure  the  best  results  from 
our  efforts  to  help  others,  and  while  it  is 
usually  best  to  await  the  manifestation  of 
desire  on  the  part  of  others  before  attempt- 
ing to  present  the  truth  to  them,  we  can, 
nevertheless,  do  a  great  deal  of  good  by 
simply  keeping  ourselves  in  proper  tune; 
always  declaring  the  power  of  truth  and 

58 


HELPING  OTHERS. 

denying  the  reality  of  error;  keeping 
the  thought  positive;  recognizing  the 
Omnipresence  and  our  unity  of  life  and 
purpose  with  it  and  with  each  other. 

Before  taking  up  the  specific  manner 
of  helping  others,  let  us  see  for  a  moment 
just  why  it  is  that  we  need  help — how  it 
is  that  we  have  gotten  away  from  the 
truth.  It  must  be  recalled  that  every  soul 
born  into  this  world  of  ours  is  perfect  but 
as  yet  undeclared,  without  a  conscious- 
ness of  the  truth  concerning  itself.  As  it 
unfolds  in  consciousness  it  receives  mani- 
fold impressions  from  the  external  world 
and  from  the  thought  of  those  amongst 
whom  its  lot  is  cast.  All  of  these  impres- 
sions seem  equally  real  and  true,  and  so 
this  undeclared  soul  begins  an  unfoldment 
that  is  a  manifestation  of  mixed  thought. 
It  receives  a  little  truth  and  much  error, 
and  shows  forth  a  mixture  of  a  little 
health  and  considerable  sickness.    It  finds 

59 


HELPING  OTHERS. 

a  modicum  of  pence  in  a  world  of  turmoil ; 
love  mingled  with  hatred;  joy  marred  by 
sorrow,  and  light  turned  only  occasionally 
into  the  dark  places. 

Clearly,  it  is  our  work  to  release  this 
soul  from  the  bondage  of  error  which  gives 
rise  to  the  belief  that  some  darkness, 
sorrow,  hatred  and  discord  are  the  natural 
accompaniments  of  their  positive  oppo- 
sites.  We  who  are  in  the  light  and  have 
the  simplest  knowledge  of  the  truth  may 
help  such  a  person  by  declaring  the  truth 
and  reality  of  all  positive  attributes  and 
the  unreality  of  all  negation.  Declaring 
the  truth,  speaking  the  word,  giving  a 
treatment,  holding  a  thought — all  these 
statements  mean  the  same  thing  and  refer 
to  the  recognition  of  Divine  Mind  and  its 
perfection.  They  are  the  means  of  helping 
the  soul  out  of  ignorance  into  the  light  of 
truth. 

60 


HELPING  OTHERS. 

All  positive  declarations  of  truth  go  out 
to  help  others.  Our  opportunities  for 
work  are  independent  of  time  and  place. 
It  makes  no  difference  whether  we  sit  in 
the  silence  and  give  a  regular  treatment, 
or  whether  we  simply  declare  the  truth 
as  we  happen  to  come  in  contact  with  a 
belief  or  appearance  of  error.  We  all 
have  this  power  and  can  all  help  souls  out 
of  the  darkness  of  their  false  beliefs. 

In  this  connection  we  must  be  very 
careful  not  to  agree  with  the  delusions 
of  the  race,  nor  to  assent  to  the  many 
common  expressions  of  error  that  we  con- 
stantly hear.  We  have  learned  that  only 
positive  attributes  are  real  and  eternal, 
and  that  negative  beliefs  are  unreal, 
merely  indicating  a  lack  of  the  positive. 
We  must,  therefore,  so  control  our  thought 
that  we  will  recognize  truth  instantly, 
and  promptly  deny  all  false  beliefs.  Think 
the  thought,  speak  the  word  and  perform 

61 


HELPING  0THBB8. 

the  act  that  helps,  heals,  blesses  and  frees 
the  negative,  undeclared  soul. 

Intellectual  power  or  ability  is  not  nec- 
essary to  the  healing  process.  We  can 
begin  now.  It  makes  but  little  difference 
what  words  are  used;  it  is  the  conviction 
of  the  truth  that  counts.  A  treatment 
given  in  the  most  beautiful  terms  may  be 
ineffectual  on  account  of  a  lack  of  con- 
viction of  the  truth.  We  cannot  teach 
successfully  that  which  we  merely  believe 
and  in  regard  to  which  we  may  be  unde- 
cided and  irresolute;  neither  can  we  heal 
if  our  faith  falters  and  our  conviction 
wavers.  The  Truth  is  the  All-power  of  the 
universe,  and  when  we  speak  in  unity 
with  it  our  words  will  carry  healing. 

Let  us  now  consider  some  specific  case 
of  healing  in  order  that  we  may,  perhaps, 
get  a  better  idea  of  the  actual  procedure. 
Remember,  too,  that  spiritual  conscious- 
ness grows  through  use,  and  that  while 

62 


HELPING  OTHERS. 

your  own  beginning  may  appear  small 
and  insignificant,  you  have  the  unrealized 
power  within  you  to  do  mighty  works. 
Suppose  that  you  are  asked  to  treat  a 
child.  Enter  the  silence  and  know  that 
God  is  present  in  the  child  as  Life,  Light, 
Love  and  Health;  that  the  disease  which 
now  seems  to  control  the  child  has  no 
reality;  that  God  knows  no  imperfection 
and  sees  only  the  truth  in  the  child ;  that 
you  see  the  Father's  Presence  in  the  child 
as  immortal  Spirit  Substance  over  which 
negation  has  no  power.  Place  all  your 
thought  on  the  side  of  truth  as  you  know 
it  to  exist  in  the  child  and  you  will  thus 
restore  a  consciousness  of  health  and 
eradicate  the  belief  of  disease.  Rejoice 
confidently  in  the  power  of  truth  to  over- 
come error  and  know  that  the  restoration 
of  the  consciousness  of  truth  will  be  mani- 
fested by  the  reappearance  of  health.  Your 
own  consciousness  of  the  truth  will  restore 

63 


BELPING  OTHERS. 

in  the  child  the  true  lighl  which  dissolves 
darkness  and  healing  will  result, 

Have  no  fear  or  doubt,  bill  know  posi- 
tively that  if  (he  (ruth  is  realized,  error  in 
any  form  cannot  exist,  and  that  the  exter- 
nal change  will  appear  simultaneously 
with  the  inner  change  of  thought.  If  a 
thought  of  fear  comes  to  you,  know  that 
"fear  has  no  power  to  hurt  or  harm,  or  to 
produce  any  claim  whatever."  Do  not 
watch  symptoms  or  suggest  external  rem- 
edies, but  keep  your  thoughts  on  the  one 
perfect  Presence  and  Power. 

Practice  healing,  both  for  its  effect  on 
those  who  are  in  a  negative  state,  as  well 
as  for  your  own  unfoldment  and  growth 
in  consciousness  of  the  truth  and  its 
power. 


64 


HELPING  OTHERS. 
STATEMENTS  FOR  MEDITATION. 

Now  do   I   begin  my   work   of  Love   by 

thinking   and   speaking   the   words   of 

Truth. 
God  is  eternal  and  changeless  Health. 
I  am  the  child  of  God,  and  live,  move  and 

have  my  being  in  Him ;  therefore  I  live 

in  Health,  I  move  in  Health,  I  have  my 

being  in  Health. 
Health  is  my  real  and  eternal  state. 
Knowing  this  Truth  frees  me  from  every 

appearance  of  discord. 
I  declare  Health  for  everyone  who  is  not 

conscious  of  its  presence. 
Thou  art  the  only  Presence,  and  in  Thee 

is  my  eternal  life. 


65 


EELPING  OTHERS. 


WORDS  OF  LOVE. 

"Do  you  know  a  heart  that  hungers 

For  a  word  of  love  and  cheer? 
There  are  many  such  about  us, 

It  may  be  that  one  is  near. 
Look  around  you!     If  you  find  it, 

Speak  the  word  that's  needed  so, 
And  your  own  heart  may  be  strengthened 

By  the  help  that  you  bestow.'1 


66 


VI. 

RULES  OF  ACTION. 

In  a  universe  where  everything  is  gov- 
erned by  law,  it  is  to  be  expected  that  we 
might  find  certain  rules  of  action  for  the 
government  of  our  existence  here.  The  law 
of  cause  and  effect  is  operative  everywhere 
and  if  we  desire  to  secure  certain  effects 
in  our  lives  we  must  follow  lines  of  action 
which  will  produce  the  desired  results. 
Whether  or  not  we  recognize  and  observe 
the  law  makes  no  difference;  the  results 
are  inexorable  and  no  excuse  of  ignorance 
or  forgetfulness  avails  anything.  How 
important,  then,  to  know  and  follow  rules 
of  action  which  will  result  in  a  life  of 
harmony,  peace  and  love. 

Let  us  consider  a  few  simple  rules  which, 
if  faithfully   lived,   will   bring  only   the 

67 


RULES  OF  ACTION. 

results  we  most  desire.  The  first  one  of 
these  is  stated  as  follows:  "Whoever  will 
never  give  another  pain,  either  by 
thought,  word  or  deed,  is  exempt  from 
pain  forever." — (Annie  Kix  Militz.)  t 

The  truth  of  this  statement  should  be 
apparent  at  once.  That  which  we  send 
forth  is  constantly  coming  back  to  us, 
and  if  we  are  in  that  state  which  will  not 
countenance  the  giving  of  pain  in  any 
manner,  we  shall  also  be  oblivious  to  pain 
ol  any  sort.  This  fact  is  noticeable  in 
other  forms  as  well.  For  example,  one  who 
is  constantly  in  a  frame  of  mind  that  con- 
templates only  the  good  may  ultimately 
attain  a  state  of  consciousness  to  which 
negation  of  any  sort  cannot  present  itself. 
It  is  as  if  darkness  were  to  present  itself 
to  the  sun  for  recognition  as  an  entity. 
It  would  be  instantly  dissolved  and  its 
unreality  proved.  Thus  a  person  filled 
with  a  consciousness  of  love  could  never 

68 


RULES  OF  ACTION. 

give  another  pain,  nor  be  touched  by  any 
angry  words. 

A  little  thought  will  show  that  there 
are  many  careless  ways  of  giving  pain. 
Condemnation,  criticism  and  fault-finding 
are  apt  mostly  to  be  uncharitable  and, 
therefore,  to  give  pain ;  but  they  will  cer- 
tainly react  on  the  one  so  unfortunate  as 
to  indulge  in  them  toward  others.  If  the 
statement  given  above  is  kept  in  mind  it 
will  be  like  a  ray  of  light  in  its  power  to 
cleanse  the  thought  of  unkind  habits. 

Jesus  made  use  of  a  similar,  but  stronger 
statement  when  He  pronounced  the  golden 
rule,  "Therefore  all  things  whatsoever  ye 
would  that  men  should  do  unto  you,  do  ye 
even  so  to  them."  Jesus  gave  this  as  the 
best  rule  of  action  that  could  possibly  be 
followed,  for  he  added,  "this  is  the  law 
and  the  prophets."  This  rule  is  also 
interesting  from  another  point  of  view, 
viz.,  it  is  absolutely  positive.    We  are  told 

69 


BULKS  OF  ACTION. 

to  do  certain  things  if  we  would  get  cer- 
tain results.  This  rule  involves  action 
and  expression.  In  marked  contrast  to  the 
positive  nature  of  this  rule,  is  the  negative 

character  of  the  first  one  considered. 
That  rule  involves  merely  repression  and 
passive  thought.  We  are  told  that  if  we 
refrain  from  doing  what  is  not  right  we 
will  not  reap  any  unhappy '  results.  It 
is  (lear  that  no  negative  rule  can  he  as 
efficacious  as  a  positive  one  in  producing 
a  helpful  life.  Negative  rules  can  bring 
peace  and  harmony  to  the  life  of  the  indi- 
vidual, but  only  as  a  result  of  refraining 
from  doing  harm ;  whereas  positive  rules 
bring  all  the  results  that  the  negative  can 
and  more,  through  positively  doing  good 
to  others.  The  negative  rule  counsels, 
"Send  out  no  evil  and  you  will  receive 
none";  the  positive  pule  says,  "Do  good 
and  it  will  return  to  make  you  serenely 
happy."    The  one  is  limited  and  personal ; 

70 


RULES  OF  ACTION. 

the  other  broad  and  universal.  The  golden 
rule  as  usually  stated  may  be  emphasized 
by  substituting  the  word  "be"  for  "do," 
thus  placing  it  on  the  plane  of  being  as 
well  as  of  action. 

A  third  rule  relates  to  the  little  things 
in  our  daily  conversation.  We  are  charged 
to  test  the  fitness  of  our  words  by  making 
them  pass 

"Three  narrow  gates  :  First — Is  it  true? 
Then— Is  it  needful?    Next— Is  it  kind?" 

Idle  conversation  may  sometimes  pass 
the  first  two,  but  rarely  the  third.  This 
rule  is  neither  wholly  positive  nor  nega- 
tive in  its  intent.  It  is  precautionary.  We 
are  counseled  to  refrain  from  speaking 
the  untrue,  unnecessary  and  unkind  word. 
But  we  want  to  do  more  than  that.  We 
should  seek  always  to  discriminate  in  our 
conversation  and  express  only  the  good, 
true  and  beautiful,  knowing  that  while 
repression  may  ultimately  bring  peace, 

71 


RULES  OF  ACTION. 

expression  will  bring  the  joy  of  being  in 
harmony  with  God  and  man. 

The  statement  "Praise  all  things,  bless 
all  things,  love  all  things,"  expresses  a 
positive  attitude  that  will  bring  harmony 
and  give  freedom  from  the  bondage  of 
condemnation.  Never  condemn  anything 
or  anybody.  "The  pure  in  heart  shall  see 
God",  which  means  that  whoever  is  con- 
scious of  the  purity  of  Divine  Substance 
everywhere,  shall  see  nothing  but  God  in 
all  things  and  find  nothing  to  condemn. 
The  simplest  rule  of  action  in  this  regard 
is  "Look  always  for  the  Good  in  every- 
thing." The  good  can  always  be  found  if 
we  look  for  it,  for  it  is  always  present  and 
is  only  hidden  because  we  have  not  looked. 
In  Truth  all  things  are  good, but  delusion 
holds  us  in  bondage  to  many  errors.  It  has 
been  truly  said  that  the  most  necessary 
part  of  learning  is  to  unlearn  our  errors. 
We  believe  so  many  things  that  are  most 

72 


RULES  OF  ACTION. 

erroneous;  in  fact  we  are  self-hypnotized 
regarding  them.  This  has  its  origin  in 
our  condemnation  of  them,  and  in  the 
failure  to  recognize  the  unity  and  inherent 
goodness  of  all  things.  There  are  some 
people  who  are  always  in  harmony  with 
everything  and  everybody  because  they 
are  looking  for  the  good ;  and  on  the  other 
hand  there  are  a  few  individuals  who  can 
find  no  good  in  anything.  The  latter  are 
in  bondage  to  mental  delusions,  of  which 
we  will  consider  a  few. 

First:  there  is  that  old  delusion  that 
God  created  disease  in  order  to  bring  us 
closer  to  Him,  and  that,  having  created 
disease,  He  then  created  drugs  to  heal  it. 
God  has  created  nothing  save  harmonious 
life  and  wholeness ;  and  just  as  He  did  not 
create  disease,  neither  does  the  drug  heal 
it.  Faith  is  the  only  curative  agent  in  the 
drug  treatment  of  disease.  Faith  in  God  is 
the  only  necessary  attitude  for  restoration 
73 


RULES  OP  ACTION. 

to  health  in  the  Science  treatment  of  dis- 
ease. These  statements  con  Id  be  proved 
l>y  many  instances  in  which  faith  was  the 
only  agent  at  work.  Patients  who  have 
been  taking  a  drag  to  produce  a  certain 
effect  have  continued  to  experience  that 
effect  long  after  the  drug  has  been  changed 
without  their  knowledge;  or  better  still  is 
the  instance  of  the  patient  who  has  been 
cured  by  the  administration  of  alleged 
medicines  which  were  merely  sugar  pellets. 
Faith  wras  the  only  curative  agent  at  work. 
Similarly  in  spiritual  healing,  patients 
have  been  cured  after  writing  for  treat- 
ment, only  to  find  later  that  their  letters 
were  not  received  and  no  treatments  given. 
Their  expectation  of  and  faith  in  Divine 
healing  was  the  curative  agent. 

Another  delusion  is  that  the  senses  are 
reliable,  accurate  and  to  be  depended  upon 
all  the  time;  that  whatever  we  see  in  the 
external  is  absolutely  true.     Zeno  says, 

74 


RULES  OF  ACTION. 

"When  thy  senses  affirm  that  which  thy 
reason  denies,  reject  the  testimony  of  thy 
senses  and  listen  only  to  thy  reason."  In 
healing  work  it  is  absolutely  necessary  to 
reject  the  testimony  of  the  senses  and  see 
only  the  Divine  Perfection  everywhere 
regardless  of  appearance. 

Nervous  disorders  have  been  the  basis 
of  many  delusions  regarding  climate  and 
altitude.  What  an  inconceivable  amount 
of  travel  there  is  here  and  there,  from  cold 
to  warm  climates,  from  high  to  low  alti- 
tudes, and  vice  versa,  all  in  the  name  of 
cure  for  nervousness.  Our  nerves  are  very 
much  like  the  strings  of  a  piano — they 
vibrate  to  the  tune  we  are  playing.  It  is 
our  own  thought  which  is  responsible  for 
nervousness,  and  people  who  are  nervous 
had  best  look  for  relief  by  changing  their 
thought  and  the  tune  they  are  playing. 

Fear  of  drafts,  weather,  food  and  numer- 
ous forms  of  obsession  are  to  be  classed 

75 


HULKS  OF  ACTION. 

among  the  delusions  which  come  from 
condemnation  and  failure  to  recognize  the 
Good  everywhere.  The  rule  of  acl  ion  which 
applies  to  these  conditions  is,  as  stated 
before,  "Bless  all  things,  praise  all  things, 
love  all  things."  "Let  us  sing  unto  the 
Lord  a  new  song."  We  have  been  singing 
a  song  of  worry,  fear  and  condemnation ; 
let  us  sing  of  praise,  love  and  blessing. 
Let  go  the  mental  fears  and  delusions, 
replacing  them  all  with  the  thought  of 
God  as  the  omnipresent  Substance  which 
is  all  Good.  In  trying  to  abandon  these 
fears  and  delusions  we  do  not  wrork  against 
them  directly.  They  are  nothing,  and  can 
only  persist  in  thought  as  long  as  our 
thought  has  room  to  consider  them.  Know 
the  Truth,  think  the  Truth,  and  so  fill  our 
thought  with  it  that  we  become  conscious 
of  God's  omnipresence  and  manifestation 
in  the  universe,  and  of  our  unity  with  the 
All  Good. 

76 


RULES  OF  ACTION. 
STATEMENTS  FOR  MEDITATION. 

I  will  love  all  things;  I  will  bless  all 
things;  I  will  praise  all  things. 

I  will  sing  unto  the  Lord  a  song  of  joy. 

I  dwell  in  Love  and  Love  forever  dwells 
in  me. 

I  make  my  unity  with  the  Divine  Good- 
ness and  see  it  everywhere. 

The  Good  is  all  there  really  is. 

There  is  no  power  adverse  to  God. 

I  am  controlled  by  the  loving  Presence 
that  is  with  me  now  and  always. 

In  Him  I  am  complete. 


77 


RULES  OF  ACTION. 


THREE  GATES  OF  GOLD. 

"If  you  are  tempted  to  reveal  a  tale 

Someone  to  yon  has  told  about  another, 
Make  it  pass,  before  you  speak, 

Three  gates  of  gold — 
Three  narrow  gates:  First — Is  it  true? 

Then,  Is  it  needful? 
And  there  is  last  and  narrowest — 

Is  it  kind? 
And  if  at  last  to  leave  your  lips 

It  passes  through  these  gateways  three, 
Then  you  the  tale  may  tell, 

Nor  fear  what  the  result  may  be." 


78 


VII. 
THOUGHT. 

We  come  now  to  one  of  the  most  impor- 
tant subjects  that  the  student  of  Divine 
Science  is  called  upon  to  consider.  Its 
fundamental  significance  lies  in  its  close 
relationship  to  the  subject  of  Omnipres- 
ence, as  will  be  seen  when  we  define 
Thought. 

There  is  but  one  Mind  filling  the  Uni- 
verse. This  is  the  Divine  Mind,  the  Mind 
which  is  God.  Thought  is  the  activity  of 
this  Divine  Mind.  Now  all  ideas  in  Divine 
Mind  are  perfect,  even  as  IT  is  perfect. 
Likewise  all  activity  of  Divine  Mind  is 
perfect.  It  follows  then,  that  Divine  Mind 
thinking,  expresses  Divine  result  which  is 
perfect.  This  applies  to  the  whole  creation 
in  its  many  manifested  forms,  for  these 
are  created  only  by  perfect  Mind,  in  per- 

79 


THOUGHT. 

feet  action,  bringing  forth  perfect  result 
everywhere.  The  body,  therefore,  is  the 
perfect  result  of  Divine  Thought,  for  God 
created  man  in  his  own  image  and  after 
his  likeness.  .Man  is  therefore  an  expressed 
idea  of  Divine  Mind.  There  is  nothing  else 
to  create  the  body  except  this  perfect 
Cause,  and  no  matter  what  the  feelings 
and  senses  may  indicate,  the  truth  is  that 
the  body  is  of  divine  origin  and  is  perfect. 
Now  just  as  there  are  not  many  minds, 
but  one,  neither  is  there  any  separation 
between  the  Universal  Mind  and  the 
individual  mind.  They  are  one,  although 
the  consciousness  may  not  be  sufficiently 
illumined  to  perceive  this  unity.  Simi- 
larly, this  incomplete  illumination  of 
consciousness  prevents  the  perception  of 
the  perfect  body  and  of  the  perfect  action 
which  is  keeping  that  body  in  health  all 
the  time.  When  we  become  conscious  of 
the  unity  of  Divine  Mind  and  individual 

80 


THOUGHT. 

mind,  we  will  perceive  the  divinity  of  all 
things,  including  our  own  bodies. 

There  is  no  place  where  this  perfect 
Mind  is  not;  it  is  the  one  great,  silent, 
eternal  reality  everywhere.  "Can  any  hide 
himself  in  secret  places  that  I  shall  not 
see  him,  saith  the  Lord?  Do  I  not  fill 
heaven  and  earth?" — ( Jer.  23  :24) . 

Thought  is  the  eternal  movement;  the 
divine  action  everywhere.  It  is  God  moving 
upon  the  face  of  the  waters ;  God  thinking ; 
and  as  God  thinks,  this  activity  goes  forth 
continuously.  Thought  is  the  commonest 
power  we  have  and  it  is  given  to  all  alike. 
It  is  a  steady  and  continuous  flow 
through  us,  and  just  as  the  woodland 
stream  bestows  its  beneficence  equally 
on  all  the  forms  of  vegetation  along  its 
banks,  so  Thought  passing  through  us, 
offers  to  all  alike  the  power  which  will 
come  from  its  recognition  and  use. 
Thought  thus  becomes  a  great  individual 

81 


THOUGHT. 

power;  something  thai  can  not  be  taken 
away  from  us  nor  received  from  any  other 
individual.  It  flows  continuously  and 
cannot  be  held,  bound  or  limited;  it  is  as 
universal  as  God,  which  is  its  source;  as 
subtle  and  intangible  as  sunshine,  yet  just 
as  real. 

Thought  is  one  of  the  divine  spiritual 
forces  which  we  have  power  to  use  as  we 
will.  Other  forces  of  like  nature  are 
love,  faith  and  strength.  Let  us  consider 
strength  for  a  moment  in  an  effort  to 
illustrate  Thought  and  implant  a  right 
idea  concerning  it.  Strength  is  universal. 
It  is  that  great  omnipotent  force  which 
upholds  everything  in  the  universe  and 
which  is  within  us  whether  we  are  con- 
scious of  it  or  not.  As  we  come  into  con- 
sciousness of  strength  we  find  that  it  is  a 
perfectly  impersonal  force.  Having  no 
personality  of  its  own,  it  cannot  direct 
its  own  use.     It  is  for  us  to  use  in  any 

82 


THOUGHT. 

way  we  desire.  It  is  as  freely  at  our 
service  as  is  the  air  we  breathe.  We  are 
constantly  using  or  mis-using  strength. 
We  may  use  it  to  bless  or  to  destroy;  we 
may  exert  it  to  lift  a  little  child  that  has 
fallen  or  to  strike  an  injurious  blow. 
Used  in  love,  strength  blesses  both  giver 
and  receiver,  but  when  put  to  any  base  or 
selfish  use  its  results  are  negative  to  all 
concerned. 

From  this  illustration  the  analogy  be- 
tween Thought  and  strength  should  be 
apparent.  Thought  is  an  impersonal  force, 
neither  good  nor  bad,  though  it  may  be 
put  to  base  uses.  Through  it  we  may  send 
out  a  divine  idea  of  love  and  harmony  and 
thus  bless  our  world;  or  a  negative  con- 
ception which  will  produce  discord.  It  is 
like  electricity,  which  of  itself  is  merely  a 
force ;  and  cannot  elect  the  use  to  which  it 
shall  be  put,  but  is  ready   for  various 

83 


THOUGHT. 

purposes;  and  when  not  in  use  it  con- 
tinues to  flow  ready  for  use  when  wanted. 
Thought  is  the  vital  force  actuating  the 
universe  and  sustaining  the  race  in  its  life 
journey.  It  is  not  generated  within,  nor 
can  it  be  held  there  any  more  than  sun- 
shine could  be  held  and  accumulated.  So 
the  expression  "holding  a  thought"  is  in 
reality  a  misnomer.  The  better  view  is 
that  Thought  is  a  force  that  flows  through 
us  continuously,  and  as  we  meditate  on 
any  subject,  our  beliefs  or  ideas  are 
carried  out  by  the  stream  of  Thought  into 
the  universe.  Thus,  while  we  do  not  create 
Thought,  we  have  the  power  to  color  it 
with  the  positive  or  negative  qualities  of 
our  own  understanding,  utilizing  it  for 
good  or  base  purposes.  A  simple  illustra- 
tion will  make  the  idea  clearer.  Just 
as  light,  passing  through  the  beautiful 
stained  glass  windows  of  a  great  cathedral 
assumes  various  colors,  so  Thought  pass- 

84 


THOUGHT. 

ing  through  us  is  colored  by  our  state  of 
mentality.  We  see,  then,  how  essential  it 
is  that  our  thought  be  joyous,  happy  and 
free,  unclouded  by  any  delusion  or  false 
belief ;  for  if  we  are  gloomy  and  depressed, 
Thought  passing  through  us  will  take  on 
that  quality. 

Whence  comes  Thought?  Every  good 
gift  and  every  perfect  gift  is  from  above, 
and  as  Thought  is  a  good  and  perfect  gift 
we  know  that  it  has  its  origin  in  Divine 
Mind  and  that  it  permeates  the  universe. 
We  have  many  evidences  of  the  universal- 
ity of  Thought  and  of  the  power  of  the 
individual  to  color  it  with  his  mentality. 
Take  for  example,  the  many  instances  of 
telepathic  and  psychic  experience.  We 
"feel"  the  unannounced  presence  of  a  per- 
son ;  we  instinctively  become  aware  of  the 
likes  and  dislikes  of  individuals;  we  sud- 
denly get  a  thought  from  someone  without 
the    intervention    of    spoken    or    written 

85 


THOUGHT. 

words;  two  friends  in  close  accord  will 
often  speak  of  the  same  thing  at  the  same 
time,  and  letters  of  friends  pass  in  the 
mails  because  the  thought  of  one  person 
for  the  other  inspired  each  to  write  at  the 
same  time.  Thus  instances  could  be  multi- 
plied without  end. 

Thought  thus  becomes  a  universal  lan- 
guage through  which  we  may  all  under- 
stand each  other  when  spoken  words  would 
be  unintelligible.  If  this  force  were  uni- 
versally recognized  and  used  we  would 
live  in  a  constant  state  of  love,  harmony 
and  peace;  knowing  that  we  send  to,  and 
receive  from  each  other,  either  consciously 
or  unconsciously,  a  continuous  message  of 
Thought  which  is  colored  by  the  degree  of 
consciousness. 

Without  Thought  we  can  do  nothing; 
with  it  all  power  in  heaven  and  earth  is 
ours.  We,  then,  may  be  moved  to  ask,  If 
the  Divine  Mind  is  always  thinking,  if  the 

86 


THOUGHT. 

activity  is  perfect  and  the  result  perfect, 
whence  come  inharmony,  sickness,  sin 
and  negative  conditions  generally?  The 
answer  is,  through  the  mis-use  of  Thought. 
Man  sometimes  applies  this  force  to  ignoble 
ends;  instead  of  using  it  in  love  and  co- 
operation, to  the  ends  of  peace,  harmony, 
health  and  happiness,  he  misuses  it  with 
the  result  that  negative  conditions  appear. 
It  is  necessary  to  emphasize  what  has  been 
stated  before,  viz.,  that  Thought  in  itself 
is  a  perfect  force,  impersonal,  but  sus- 
ceptible to  the  coloring  influence  of  indi- 
vidual consciousness.  Not  knowing  the 
power  of  this  divine  force,  we  have  con- 
sidered ourselves  wholly  as  matter,  born 
of  earth,  subject  to  sin,  sickness  and  death ; 
and  because  we  have  believed  this  and 
have  used  Thought  in  this  way,  we  have 
become  subject  to  the  belief  with  its 
resulting  negative  conditions.  The  truth 
is  that  the  substance  of  the  body  is  Spirit, 

87 


THOUGHT. 

indestructible,  immortal  and  perfect,  and 
in  unity  with  all  that  eternally  is.  To 
know  this  perfectly  would  be  to  lose  all 
conception  of  negative  conditions. 

Thought  is  a  free  force,  illimitable  and 
inexhaustible.  We  may  use  it  consciously 
as  much  and  as  often  as  we  will.  Through 
it  we  find  our  unity  with  our  Source; 
through  it  we  come  into  direct  communi- 
cation with  the  universal,  with  the  Infinite. 
It  raises  us  out  of  the  material  and  per- 
sonal to  a  fuller  conception  of  the  spiritual 
and  divine,  and  establishes  the  truth  of 
what  we  really  are. 

We  have  seen,  now,  that  the  individual 
is  master  of  the  force  we  call  Thought. 
This  brings  us  to  a  consideration  of  what 
is  called  mental  atmosphere.  We  have  all 
recognized  this  subtle  and  intangible  con- 
dition in  our  friends  and  acquaintances. 
The  presence  of  one  person  is  a  bless- 
ing, while  the  advent  of  another  brings 

88 


THOUGHT. 

in  the  utmost  confusion  and  discord.  Now 
the  mental  atmosphere  of  individuals  is  a 
direct  result  of  their  use  of  Thought.  If 
a  man  color  his  Thought  with  positive 
ideas  of  love,  joy,  cheerfulness,  peace, 
courage,  confidence  and  power,  his  mental 
atmosphere  will  show  those  qualities  and 
people  will  feel  them  when  in  his  presence. 
On  the  other  hand,  if  he  color  Thought 
with  sadness,  gloom,  faith  in  evil,  fear, 
weakness,  worry,  sin  and  other  negative 
beliefs,  he  will  project  them  into  his  mental 
atmosphere  and  they  will  be  apparent  to 
all  his  associates.  In  the  same  way,  the 
atmosphere  of  a  home  or  of  a  gathering  of 
people  is  instinctively  felt,  and  represents 
the  state  of  consciousness  in  that  home  or 
gathering.  Plainly,  then,  the  point  to  be 
observed  is,  to  keep  the  consciousness  so 
harmonious  that  Thought  passing  through 
us  and  out  into  the  universe  will  produce 

89 


THOUGHT. 

a  mental  atmosphere  of  unity  and  harmony 
with  the  Infinite  and  with  all  creation. 

At  this  point  it  may  be  well  to  get  a 
clear  conception  of  the  difference  between 
ideas  and  beliefs,  for  the  indiscriminate 
use  of  the  terms  leads  to  confusion.  Ideas 
always  come  from  Divine  Mind;  beliefs 
are  man's  conceptions.  Ideas  are  always 
true;  beliefs  are  very  often  false.  Ideas 
will  always  produce  inward  harmony; 
beliefs  give  rise  to  discord.  Ideas  are 
always  positive;  beliefs  are  mostly  nega- 
tive. Ideas  are  always  in  accord;  beliefs 
usually  result  in  confusion. 

Now  we  may  have  faith  in  either  ideas 
or  beliefs,  and  get  results  according  to 
our  faith.  Faith  in  a  true  idea  will  bring 
but  one  positive,  healing,  uplifting  result; 
while  faith  in  beliefs  will  bring  various 
results  according  as  the  beliefs  are  false 
or  true. 

90 


THOUGHT. 

One  of  the  most  prevalent  beliefs  which 
is  not  true  and  which  we  should  dismiss 
from  mentality,  is  that  we  are  continually 
creating  our  own  bodies.  This  is  a  false 
belief.  God  is  the  only  Creator  in  the 
universe.  He  has  created  our  bodies  of 
perfect  spirit  substance  and  filled  them 
with  perfect  life.  He  has  not  made  an 
imperfect  creation,  and  we  do  not  have  to 
re-create  anything  that  He  has  made.  Let 
us  dismiss  the  belief  that  we  can  create 
anything  or  that  it  is  necessary  for  us  to 
add  anything  to  God's  creation.  Let  us 
establish  in  our  consciousness  the  true 
idea  that  all  which  God  has  created  is 
eternally  perfect.  The  only  part  necessary 
for  the  individual  to  play  is  to  eliminate 
from  mentality  every  false  belief,  so  that 
the  truth  may  appear  in  all  its  beauty,  and 
creation  in  all  its  perfection.  Whatever 
light,  life,  peace  and  harmony  there  is,  is 
of  God,  eternal  and  changeless.    No  nega- 

91 


THOUGHT. 

live  belief  is  a  creation.  Darkness  is  not 
a  creation ;  it  is  a  lack  of  light.  Death  is 
not  a  creation;  it  is  a  change  of  form. 
Disease  is  not  a  creation;  it  is  a  lack  of 
consciousness  of  ease.  Similarly,  all  nega- 
tive things  merely  indicate  the  lack  of 
consciousness  of  the  positive  truth. 

"Come  unto  me  (the  Divine  within  you) , 
and  I  will  give  you  rest" — rest  from  all 
these  false  beliefs;  rest  in  the  divine 
activity  which  is  always  thinking  in  and 
through  you  in  harmony  and  peace;  rest 
in  the  divine  idea,  perfect  within  you. 
Think  with  the  All-good,  and  such  peace 
as  you  have  never  dreamed  of  will  enter 
your  soul. 

STATEMENTS  FOR  MEDITATION. 

Peace,  be  still. 

In    quiet    and    confidence    shall    be    my 

strength. 
The  fruit  of  the  Spirit  is  perfect  peace. 

92 


THOUGHT. 

God  is  not  the  author  of  confusion,  but  of 
peace,  and  that  peace  is  within  me  now. 
Be  still  and  know  that  I  am  Peace. 

"Speak  to  him  now,  for  he  hears, 
And  Spirit  with  Spirit  can  meet. 
Closer  is  He  than  breathing, 
And  nearer  than  hands  and  feet." 

LOYALTY. 

When  courage  fails,  and  faith  burns  low, 

And  men  are  timid  grown, 
Hold  fast  thy  loyalty,  and  know 

That  Truth  still  moveth  on. 
For  unseen  messengers  she  hath 

To  work  her  will  and  ways, 
And  even  human  scorn  and  wrath 

God  turneth  to  her  praise. 
She  can  both  meek  and  lordly  be, 

In  heavenly  might  secure; 
With  her  is  pledge  of  victory, 

And  patience  to  endure. 

93 


THOUGHT. 

The  pace  is  not  unto  the  swift, 

The  battle  to  the  strong, 
When  dawn  her  judgment-days  that  sift 

The  claims  of  right  and  wrong. 
And  more  than  thou  canst  do  for  Truth 

Can  she  on  thee  confer, 
If  thou,  O  heart,  but  give  thy  youth 

And  manhood  unto  her. 
For  she  can  make  thee  inly  bright, 

Thy  self-love  purge  away,    . 
And  lead  thee  in  the  path  whose  light 

Shines  to  the  perfect  day. 
Who  follow  her,  though  men  deride, 

In  her  strength  shall  be  strong ; 
Shall  see  their  shame  become  their  pride, 

And  share  her  triumph-song! 

— Frederick  L.  IFosmer. 


94 


VIII. 

THE  WORD. 

The  Bible  abounds  in  many  statements 
concerning  the  Word,  both  in  the  law  of 
God  as  given  before  the  Christian  era  and 
in  the  record  of  Jesus'  teaching  and 
works.  "In  the  beginning  was  the  Word, 
and  the  Word  was  with  God  and  the  Word 
was  God."  "But  the  Word  is  very  nigh 
unto  thee,  in  thy  mouth  and  in  thy  heart, 
that  thou  mayest  do  it."  "Speak  the  Word 
only  and  my  servant  shall  be  healed." 
"The  sower  soweth  the  Word."  "And  the 
Word  was  made  flesh  and  dwelt  among 
us."  Again,  concerning  speech,  we  read, 
"Every  idle  word  that  men  shall  speak 
they  shall  give  an  account  of  in  the  day 
of  judgment."  "For  by  thy  words  thou 
shalt  be  justified  and  by  thy  words  thou 
shalt  be  condemned."    "Heaven  and  earth 

95 


Tin:  WORD. 

slmll  pass  away  but  my  words  shall  not 
pass  away."  "Thou  hast  the  words  of 
eternal  life."    "If  ye  abide  in  me  and  my 

words  abide  in  you,  ye  shall  ask  what  ye 
will  and  it  shall  be  done  unto  you." 

We  cannot  read  and  ponder  these  state- 
ments without  being  impressed  by  the 
enormous  importance  of  the  spoken  word, 
which  is  one  manifestation  of  that  great 
silent  Word  which  was  with  God  in  the 
beginning.  For  be  it  known  that  the 
power  has  been  given  to  each  of  us  to 
speak  the  word  of  Truth  to  bless  and  heal ; 
in  the  same  manner,  the  choice  rests  will) 
us  to  neglect  our  opportunity  for  this 
service.  The  marvelous  potency  of  speech 
has  been  delineated  by  Carlyle  in  the  fol- 
lowing selection  from  his  works,  entitled 
Speech  and  Silence: 

"He  who  speaks  honestly  cares  not, 
needs  not  care,  though  his  words  be  pre- 
served to  remotest  time.     The  dishonest 

96 


THE  WORD. 

speaker,  not  he  only  who  purposely  utters 
falsehoods,  but  he  who  does  not  purposely 
and  with  sincere  heart,  utter  Truth  and 
Truth  alone;  who  babbles  he  knows  not 
what,  and  has  clapped  no  bridle  on  his 
tongue,  but  lets  it  run  racket,  ejecting 
chatter  and  futility, — is  among  the  most 
indisputable  malefactors  omitted  or  in- 
serted in  the  criminal  calendar." 

To  him  that  will  well  consider  it,  idle 
speaking  is  precisely  the  beginning  of  all 
hollowness,  halfness,  infidelity  (want  of 
faithfulness)  ;  the  genial  atmosphere  in 
which  rank  weeds  of  every  kind  attain  the 
mastery  over  noble  fruits  in  man's  life, 
and  utterly  choke  them  out;  one  of  the 
most  crying  maladies  of  these  days,  and 
to  be  testified  against,  and  in  all  ways  to 
the  uttermost,  withstood. 

Wise  of  a  wisdom  far  beyond  our  shal- 
low depth,  was  that  old  precept :  Watch 
thy  tongue;  out  of  it  are  the  issues  of 

97 


THE  WORD. 

Life!  Man  is  properly  an  INCARNATED 

WORD:  the  WOK  I)  that  he  speaks  is  the 

man  himself.  Were  eyes  put  into  our 
head  that  we  mighl  sec,  or  thai  we  might 
fancy  and  plausibly  pretend  thai  we  had 
seen?  Was  the  tongue  suspended  there, 
that  it  might  tell  freely  what  we  have 
seen,  and  make  man  the  soul's  brother  of 
man;  or  only  that  it  might  utter  vain 
sounds,  jargon,  soul-confusing,  and  so 
divide  man,  as  by  enchanted  walls  of 
darkness,  from  union  with  man? 

Thou  who  wearest  that  cunning,  heaven- 
made  organ,  a  tongue,  think  well  of  this. 
Speak  not,  I  passionately  entreat  thee,  till 
thy  thought  have  silently  matured  itself, 
till  thou  have  other  than  mad  and  mad- 
making  noises  to  emit:  hold  thy  tongue 
till  some  meaning  lie  behind  to  set  it 
wagging. 

Consider  the  significance  of  silence:  it 
is  boundless,  never  by  meditating  to  be 

98 


THE  WORD. 

exhausted,  unspeakably  profitable  to  thee ! 
Cease  that  chaotic  hubbub,  wherein  thy 
own  soul  runs  to  waste,  to  confused  sui- 
cidal dislocation  and  stupor ;  out  of  silence 
conies  thy  strength.  "Speech  is  silvern, 
Silence  is  golden;  Speech  is  human, 
Silence  is  divine." 

Fool !  Thinkest  thou  that  because  no 
one  stands  near  with  parchment  and  black 
lead  to  note  thy  jargon,  it  therefore  dies 
and  is  harmless?  Nothing  dies,  nothing- 
can  die.  No  idlest  word  thou  speakest 
but  is  a  seed  cast  into  Time,  and  grows 
through  all  Eternity!  The  Recording 
Angel,  consider  it  well,  is  no  fable,  but  the 
truest  of  truths;  the  paper  tablets  thou 
canst  burn ;  of  the  "iron  leaf"  there  is  no 
burning." 

A  great  truth  is  contained  in  that  state- 
ment "Man  is  an  Incarnated  Word."  Man 
is  indeed  the  Word  of  God,  the  pure  and 
perfect  idea  of  God  made  manifest.  Every 

99 


THE  WORD. 

individual  is  a  Word  or  Idea  brought  into 
form  by  the  eternal  activity  and  has  a 
pure  and  perfect  spiritual  body  which 
never  can  be  affected  by  negation,  save  in 
feeling  and  mentality.  "The  Word  was 
made  flesh  and  dwelt  among  us."  Being 
the  Word  made  flesh,  we  are  divine  and 
immortal,  for  this  statement  refers  to  each 
of  us  as  it  did  to  Jesus.  Each  of  us  is 
God's  Word  in  the  flesh.  Hence  we  should 
never  belittle  or  depreciate  ourselves.  The 
activity  of  the  Divine  Mind  is  perfect  and 
the  manifested  form  is  perfect. 

It  has  been  customary  to  speak  of  a 
"lower"  and  a  "higher''  self,  and  we  have 
used  these  terms  when  we  knew  not  the 
Truth.  The  practice  has  resulted  in  con- 
fusion for  it  is  wrong  to  speak  of  a  "lower" 
self.  And  while  it  may  have  been  a  step 
upward  even  to  recognize  a  "higher"  self, 
it  is  still  better  to  know  that  there  is  but 
one  self  which  is  eternal  and  changeless. 
100 


THE  WORD. 

The  "lower"  self  is  only  what  we  have 
believed  about  ourselves.  In  recognizing 
two  selves  we  have  claimed  a  spiritual 
body  and  a  material  body,  a  perfect  and 
an  imperfect  body.  But  in  Truth,  what 
we  have  believed  was  our  imperfect  body, 
is  only  our  false  conception  of  our 
eternally  changeless  and  perfect  body. 
The  world  is  slowly  rising  into  a  con- 
sciousness of  the  inherent  perfection  and 
divine  origin  of  man,  but  we  must  know 
now  that  we  are  perfect  spirit  substance, 
the  Word  of  God  made  flesh. 

Consider  the  statement  "The  Word  of 
God  that  shall  heal  the  sick."  What  is  its 
real  meaning?  What  or  who  is  the  Word 
of  God  that  shall  heal  the  sick?  It  is  your- 
self. You  are  the  healing  word,  for  it  is 
your  consciousness  of  Truth  that  goes 
forth  to  help  one  who  has  not  that  con- 
sciousness. The  self,  the  indwelling 
101 


THE  WORD. 

Spirit,  is  the  Word  of  God,  aiid  when  you 
realize  this  you  will  know  truly  that  the 
Word  of  God  shall  heal  the  sick.  The  one 
you  endeavor  to  help  is  also  the  Word  of 
God  manifest  in  the  flesh,  and  as  you 
know  this  in  your  consciousness,  the  Spirit 
in  that  one  responds  to  your  Spirit,  the 
Truth  is  recognized  and  healing  results. 
In  this  way,  then,  the  true  Word  of  God 
heals  the  sick.  The  Word  is  the  same 
always,  but  the  human  mentality  from 
time  to  time  becomes  filled  with  false  con- 
cepts which  must  be  displaced  with  the 
Word  of  Truth.  The  Truth  of  the  body  is 
its  health  and  this  consciousness  heals  all 
disease.  Through  the  thoughts  we  think 
and  the  words  we  speak,  we  are  contin- 
ually bringing  forth  into  evidence  either 
the  Word  of  God  or  our  false  beliefs.  One 
or  the  other  must  illumine  or  darken  our 
mental  atmosphere. 

102 


THE  WORD. 

We  find  three  Words  in  the  universe  by 
which  all  visible  creation  has  been  brought 
forth.    These  are : 

The  Silent  Word,  or  the  Invisible  Idea ; 
The    Active    Word,    or    the    Process    of 

Thought,  and 
The    Manifested    Word,    or    the    Visible 

Result. 

These  three  comprise  the  Law  of  Ex- 
pression and  represent  the  process 
through  which  all  creation  has  been 
accomplished.  The  silent,  invisible  Idea  of 
creation,  put  into  action  through  Thought, 
was  finally  manifested  as  Visible  Crea- 
tion. The  same  process  is  true  of  any  of 
man's  devices;  he  first  has  the  mental 
image  or  conception,  which  is  put  into 
activity  through  thought,  resulting  in  the 
finished  product.  Everything  of  which 
we  have  knowledge  has  come  into  expres- 
sion through  this  process.  A  clear  con- 
ception of  this  fact  will  show  that  Mind 

103 


THE  WORD. 

is  the  only  Cause,  either  in  God's  creation 
or  working  in  and  through  man.  The 
law  is  operative  even  on  the  negative 
plane,  and  all  negative  conditions  in  the 
world  today  have  gone  through  this  cycle 
of  expression  and  have  come  into  our 
experience  in  this  way.  Thus  all  disease 
has  had  its  origin  in  our  thought  and 
mentality  and  the  right  way  to  overcome 
it  permanently  is  to  set  to  work  this  Law 
of  Expression  on  a  positive  idea  of  Truth 
and  Health,  knowing  that  it  will  ulti- 
mately be  manifested,  and  overcome  error 
by  replacing  it  with  consciousness  of 
Truth. 

It  should  be  plain  from  the  foregoing 
that  the  body  is  a  manifested  Word  and 
has  no  creative  power — a  result,  and  can- 
not be  a  cause  of  anything.  Apparently 
then,  the  conception  of  physical  causation 
is  erroneous  and  cannot  stand  in  the  light 
of  the  Truth  that  Mind  is  the  only  Cause, 

104 


THE  WORD. 

while  form  and  environment  are  but 
results.  Mind  working  in  and  through 
the  individual  consciousness  is  the  Cause 
of  all  that  we  know.  The  conversation,  the 
body,  the  environment,  all  indicate  our 
place  in  consciousness  and  are  results  of  it. 
Now,  this  body  which  is  the  manifested 
Word  of  Divine  Mind,  is  a  pure  spiritual 
form,  perfect  and  eternal.  It  is  invisible 
to  our  sense  of  vision,  because  being  spir- 
itual it  is  spiritually  discerned,  and  our 
lack  of  discernment  of  the  Truth  has  been 
the  reason  why  we  are  in  partial  bondage 
to  negative  things.  "Not  discerning  the 
Lord's  body,  many  are  weak  and  sickly 
among  you  and  many  sleep."  What  great 
blessing  would  attend  spiritual  discern- 
ment, and  how  greatly  it  is  to  be  striven 
for  is  apparent  from  this  statement.  Full 
and  complete  knowledge  of  Truth  would 
give  us  spiritual  discernment  of  all  things 
and  we  would  know  that — 

105 


THE  WORD. 

Gtod    is   Perfect   as   Creator — the   Silent 

.Mind; 
c.od   is   Perfect  as  Creative  Action — the 

Active  Thought; 
God  is  Perfect  as  Creation — the  Manifes- 
tation. 

Body,  therefore,  being  the  manifesta- 
tion, is  Perfect. 

"For  by  thy  words  thou  shalt  be  justi- 
fied and  by  thy  words  thou  shalt  be  con- 
demned." The  words  of  our  mouths  rep- 
resent the  expression  of  our  thoughts  just 
as  much  as  our  actions  do,  and  by  our 
words  and  actions  we  are  justified  or  con- 
demned before  the  world.  We  cannot 
justify  the  spoken  or  professed  Truth 
except  by  a  Life  of  Truth,  and  our  own 
unfoldment  demands  that  we  so  live  the 
Truth  that  it  will  bring  conviction  to 
others. 

There  is  but  one  Word  that  man  is 
responsible  for  and  that  is  the  inner  Word 

106 


THE  WORD. 

of  his  own  consciousness.  He  has  it  in  his 
own  power  to  unfold  that  consciousness  as 
steadfastly  as  he  pleases,  and  he  will  find 
that  according  as  he  works  within,  he 
will  manifest  externally.  If  the  con- 
sciousness is  one  of  peace,  joy  and  har- 
nion}^,  the  environment  will  be  the  same 
and  that  individual  will  enjoy  heaven  here 
and  now.  On  the  other  hand,  if  the  men- 
tality is  mixed,  life  will  have  some  dis- 
cord, sickness  and  unrest  in  it.  Heaven 
and  hell  are  but  mental  experiences. 
The  man  who  is  filled  with  the  ideas  of 
love,  peace  and  trust,  is  in  heaven,  just 
as  the  one  who  is  filled  with  the  beliefs 
of  injustice,  selfishness  and  hatred,  is  in 
hell. 

There  is  but  one  Substance  in  the  uni- 
verse, although  it  has  many  manifested 
forms.  Whether  we  call  that  form  the 
body,  food,  shelter  or  means  of  support,  it 
is  a  manifestation  of  the  same  Substance. 

107 


THE  WOUD. 

The  whole  universe  is  filled  with  the  very 
Substance  of  God,  and  that  Substance  in 
various  forms  is  for  our  good.  It  is  the 
abundance  of  the  one  Presence  and  the 
one  Power — the  one  Substance  made  man- 
ifest, of  which  there  is  no  lack.  To  the 
individual  it  may  be  suggested  that  if  you 
are  not  getting  your  share  of  that  Sub- 
stance, or  feel  a  lack  of  it  in  any  form, 
hold  the  thought  that  the  Spirit  knows 
and  will  manifest  to  you  in  the  form  you 
most  need  or  desire.  Speak  the  word  that 
the  one  perfect  Substance  is  made  mani- 
fest to  you  in  the  form  you  need.  Be 
definite  about  it.  "But  rather  seek  ye 
the  Kingdom  of  God  and  all  these  things 
shall  be  added  unto  you."  The  silent  word 
within  you  speaks  itself  forth  into  mani- 
festation. Whatever  you  are  thinking  will 
come  forth  and  you  can  not  experience 
the  abundance  of  supply  in  any  form  if 
you  are  holding  the  thought  of  lack.    You 

108 


THE  WORD. 

cannot  be  well  or  happy  if  you  are  holding 
the  thought  of  hatred  or  jealousy. 

The  Word  of  God  which  is  the  divine 
Spirit  within  you  can  manifest  nothing 
which  is  not  a  likeness  of  itself.  That 
we  have  not  known  this  truth  of  our  Per- 
fection and  have  not  progressed  in  the 
spiritual  life  argues  nothing  against  our 
being  just  what  the  Divine  Presence  is. 
We  have  hitherto  manifested  nothing 
higher  than  our  consciousness  of  the 
Truth,  which  perhaps  was  not  very  great, 
but  now  we  perceive  the  enlargement  of 
consciousness  which  we  are  to  experience. 
How  shall  we  accomplish  this  change? 
According  to  the  simple  rule  that  "Truth 
embodied  displaces  or  disembodies  error." 
Wherefore,  if  you  are  thinking  error,  or 
are  not  thinking  positively  and  earnestly 
on  the  side  of  Truth,  change  your  methods 
and  displace  the  error  in  your  thought 
which  you  are  manifesting  in  your  body 

109 


THE  WORD. 

and  life,  with  Truth,  which  you  will  jnsi 
as  certainly  express.  This  will  be  the 
Word  of  God  healing  and  changing  all 
that  is  external  to  you  by  first  being 
realized  in  your  thought. 

STATEMENTS  FOR  MEDITATION. 

In  the  beginning  was  the  Word. 

I  am  the  Word  of  God. 

The  Word  comes  to  bear  witness  to  the 

Truth. 
The  Word  that  I  am  shall  not  pass  away, 

but  shall  accomplish  that  whereunto  it 

is  sent. 
I  come  to  do  the  work  of  Him  who  sent 

me. 
Wist  ye  not  that   I   must  be  about  my 

Father's  business? 
My  Word  is  Spirit  and  it  is  Life. 
The  Word  is  made  into  visible  form  and 

dwells  among  us. 

Let  the  words  of  my  mouth  be  acceptable 

in  Thy  sight. 

no 


THE  WORD. 

THE  LOVING  WORD. 

A  living,  loving,  lasting  word, 
My  listening  ear  believing  heard, 

While  bending  down  in  prayer : 
Like  a  sweet  breeze  that  none  can  stay, 
It  passed  my  soul  upon  its  way 

And  left  a  blessing  there. 

Then  joyful  thoughts  that  come  and  go 
By  paths  the  holy  angels  know, 

Encamped  around  my  soul : 
As  in  a  dream  of  blest  repose, 
'Mid  withered  reeds  a  river  rose, 

And  through  the  desert  stole. 

I  lifted  up  my  eyes  to  see — 
The  wilderness  was  glad  for  me, 

My  heart  within  was  strong. 
And  sweeter,  nearer,  clearer  heard, 
It  came,  that  everlasting  word 
Of  promise  and  of  song ! 

— Anna  L.  Waring. 
ill 


IX. 
HEALING. 

The  subject  of  this  lesson  will  suggest, 
perhaps,  the  curing  of  physical  ills  which 
man  in  his  ignorance  has  permitted  to 
hold  him  in  bondage.  It  has,  however,  a 
far  wider  significance,  and  while  we  will 
consider  it  in  its  relation  to  curing  disease, 
we  will  lay  greater  stress  on  its  deeper 
and  truer  meaning.  There  is  a  wide  differ- 
ence between  healing  and  curing,  between 
healing  the  mentality  of  all  conception  of 
evil  and  curing  some  external  appearance 
of  disease. 

In  order  to  fully  understand  this  subject 
it  is  necessary,  first,  to  realize  just  what 
it  is  that  needs  healing.  We  declare  God 
to  be  Perfect  Mind,  universal  in  its  pres- 
ence and  perfect  in  its  attributes.  This 
Perfect  Source  and  Creator  knows  no 
112 


HEALING. 

imperfection  and  needs  no  healing.  Man 
is  the  creation  of  this  Perfect  Creator — 
God's  perfect  and  spiritual  idea — having 
been  created  in  God's  image  and  after  His 
likeness.  Man  is,  therefore,  a  perfect 
spiritual  creation  and  needs  no  healing. 
The  body  is  the  manifested  Word  of  God 
and  needs  no  healing.  We  see,  therefore, 
that  Universal  Mind  and  its  manifestation 
need  no  healing  or  changing,  for, 
God  is  the  Perfect  and  Spiritual  Creator ; 
Man  is  the  Perfect  and  Spiritual  Creation, 

and 
Body  is  the  Perfect  and  Spiritual  Mani- 
festation. 

Apparently,  then,  all  that  is  left  which 
requires  enlightenment  is  man's  ever  un- 
folding consciousness.  "The  only  place  in 
the  universe  where  God  may  be  shut  out 
is  in  man's  consciousness."  This  degree 
of  consciousness  believes  partly  in  Truth 
and  partly  in  error.    To  remove  the  latter 

113 


HEALING. 

so  that  (here  is  a  consciousness  that  Truth 
alone  is  reality,  and  thai  appearances  are 
but  shadows  of  ignorance,  constitutes  true 
healing. 

For  ages  the  world  has  dealt  with  ap- 
pearances, working  with  shadows  of  evil, 
as  though  they  were  realities  to  be  resisted, 
and,  perhaps,  ultimately  overcome.  The 
body  has  been  regarded  as  material  sub- 
stance subject  to  disease,  which  men  have 
combated  in  order  to  acquire  health.  The 
net  result  can  scarcely  be  said  to  flatter 
the  wisdom  which  men  have  assumed  they 
were  exercising.  Temporary  cures  have 
been  effected  but  not  healing,  for  all  heal- 
ing consists  simply  in  one  thing,  the  pro- 
ducing of  a  change  in  consciousness.  But 
opinions  and  thoughts  concerning  life 
have  gradually  changed  and  we  have  come 
into  a  fuller  knowledge  of  the  Truth, 
which  never  changes  and  which  truly 
heals. 

114 


HEALING. 

We  have  discovered  the  fact  that  dis — 
ease  (lack  of  ease)  has  no  life,  intelli- 
gence or  substance  of  itself,  and  exists 
wholly  through  man's  belief  in  it  and  the 
power  which  he  has  given  it.  We  have 
found  out  that  it  is  not  necessary  to  have 
a  full  knowledge  of  disease  in  order  to 
heal  it,  any  more  than  a  study  of  discord 
would  be  an  aid  to  a  perfect  knowledge 
of  harmony,  or  than  a  careful  study  of 
mathematical  errors  would  be  of  assist- 
ance in  solving  difficult  problems.  On  the 
other  hand,  the  more  we  know  of  health, 
the  more  fully  will  we  comprehend  the 
fact  that  it  is  the  truth  of  the  body — its 
real  and  eternal  state.  The  surest  way 
to  perpetuate  disease  is  to  believe  in  its 
reality,  while  the  surest  means  to  overcome 
it  is  to  diagnose  health.  How  apparent, 
then,  is  the  folly  of  studying  evil  in  order 
to  overcome  it  when  our  only  true  means 
of  overcoming  evil  is  Good.     And  yet  the 

115 


HEALING. 

whole  world  for  generations  has  believed 
that  to  acquire  perfection  we  must  have  a 
full  understanding  of  all  imperfection. 

Health  is  a  natural  possession,  but  has 
not  been  fully  realized  because  man  has 
not  centered  his  thought  upon  it,  or  estab- 
lished his  faith  in  it.  All  disease  implies 
a  lack  of  consciousness  of  health,  and  as 
long  as  we  believe  in  the  reality  of  disease 
we  are  subject  to  our  own  belief :  we  have 
results  according  to  our  faith.  As  we 
begin  to  put  faith  in  the  Omnipresence  as 
perfect  health,  life  and  substance,  unreal 
conditions  pass  away  and  we  are  free. 

Teaching  and  healing  are  truly  one  and 
should  always  be  one.  To  be  healed  is  to 
attain  to  such  a  degree  of  understanding 
and  realization  of  the  Truth  that  no  beliefs 
contrary  thereto  can  enter  into  the  men- 
tality. The  acquisition  of  Truth  will  be 
marked  by  the  growth  of  the  soul  out  of 
personal  ignorance  into   Divine  Knowl- 

116 


HEALING. 

edge.  As  the  teaching  is  received,  accepted 
and  put  into  daily  practice,  healing  is 
accomplished.  It  comes  from  the  con- 
sciousness of  the  Spirit  within  and  not 
from  without.  The  acceptance  of  these 
teachings  will  reveal  the  one  thing  of 
which  we  are  otherwise  ignorant,  viz.,  the 
Truth  of  ourselves.  Man  is  the  Word  of 
God,  the  Divine  Idea  expressed  in  a  pure 
and  changeless  form.  When  we  know 
ourselves  as  we  are  in  Truth,  we  will  know 
the  utter  unreality  of  anything  that  is 
unlike  God. 

Progress  toward  true  healing  will  be 
marked  by  the  perception  of  certain 
truths.  To  know  them  will  make  us  free 
from  the  law  of  sin  and  death.  We  shall 
be  like  God  in  the  external  even  as  we  are 
the  image  of  God  in  the  invisible.  These 
truths  which  we  must  learn  in  order  to 
be  healed  may  be  stated  as  follows : 

117 


HEALING. 

Tho  Truth  of  our  Being. 
The  Supremacy  of  Mind. 
The  non-entity  of  evil. 
The  Omnipresence  of  Good. 
The  unreality  of  disease. 
The  Unity  of  all  Substance. 

To  live  in  sickness,  pain,  poverty  or  inhar- 
niony,  no  matter  how  cheerfully,  is  not  a 
mark  of  spirituality.  It  is  a  lack  of 
understanding  of  the  real  spiritual  nature 
of  the  universe  and  of  the  all-sustaining 
and  infinite  Abundance  of  the  Omnipres- 
ence. Knowledge  of  the  Truth  brings 
deliverance  from  these  conditions  which 
really  keep  us  out  of  the  kingdom  of  God. 
When  in  our  mind  we  are  dwelling  on 
health,  abundance  and  harmony,  we  are 
in  accord  with  the  teachings  of  Jesus 
expressed  in  the  parable  of  the  vine :  "If 
ye  abide  in  me  and  my  words  abide  in  you, 
ye  shall  ask  what  ye  will  and  it  shall  be 
done  unto  you."    But  when  in  our  inmost 

118 


HEALING. 

center  we  are  dwelling  on  sickness  and 
pain,  and  are  filled  with  fear  and  anxiety, 
we  are  perpetuating  the  very  conditions 
of  unreality  which  we  desire  to  overcome. 
The  laws  of  health  are  spiritual,  ordained 
of  God ;  they  are  not  of  man's  making.  It 
is  true  that  man  has  devised  his  own  rules 
and  has  become  subject  to  them.  There 
is,  however,  nothing  that  we  should  be  so 
careful  about  as  the  acceptance  of  man- 
made  conditions.  If  we  believe  in  the 
divine  law  of  health  and  continually  think 
that  everything  in  our  world  is  contrib- 
uting to  that  health,  we  will  be  exempt 
from  man-made  law.  Man  continually 
declares  that  he  is  subject  to  his  laws 
which  he  has  devised,  and  this  declaration 
of  his  faith  makes  it  so.  We  are  subject 
to  that  which  we  fear,  and  the  only  way 
to  come  into  an  abiding  consciousness  of 
health  is  to  know  our  unity  with  God.  We 
are  Spirit,  governed  and  controlled  by 

119 


HEALING. 

Divine  Law,  and  no  material  concept  can 
touch  or  harm  us.  Disease  has  no  power 
whatever  over  the  eternal  health  of  God 
and  will  have  no  power  in  our  life  when 
we  realize  this  truth.  If  we  or  our  ances- 
tors or  friends  have  laid  down  laws  regard- 
ing food,  drink,  exercise,  clothing,  weather, 
climate,  altitude,  inherited  diseases,  etc., 
we  may  release  ourselves  from  the  bondage 
of  all  beliefs  regarding  these  things  by 
acquiring  a  knowledge  of  the  Truth  as 
laid  down  in  this  lesson.  Understanding 
the  unity  of  all  things  overcomes  the  fear 
of  anything  and  brings  us  into  that  peace 
which  nothing  has  the  power  to  disturb. 

STATEMENTS  FOR  MEDITATION. 

God  is  the  source  and  cause  of  my  health. 
My  health  does  not  depend  upon  external 

things. 
My  health  does  not  depend  upon  climate, 

altitude  or  weather. 

120 


HEALING. 

My  health  does  not  depend  upon  what  I 

eat  or  drink. 
It  is  from  God,  substantial  and  enduring. 
My  health  is  eternal  and  changeless. 
Health  and  harmony  are  the  reality  of  my 

world. 
The  word  of  health  is  now  made  manifest 

in  my  body. 
God  is  the  health  of  his  people. 
God  is  my  health  now  and  forever. 


121 


HEALING. 


PEACE. 


Peace  beginning  to  be 

Deep  as  the  sleep  of  the  sea 

When  the  stars  their  faces  glass 

In  its  blue  tranquility ; 

Hearts  of  men  upon  earth, 

Never  once  still  from  their  birth, 

To  rest  as  the  wild  waters  rest 

With  the  colors  of  heaven  on  their  breast. 

Love,  which  is  sunlight  of  peace, 

Age  by  age  to  increase, 

Till  angers  and  hatreds  are  dead, 

And  sorrow  and  death  shall  cease : 

"Peace  on  earth  and  good-will !" 

Souls  that  are  gentle  and  still 

Hear  the  first  music  of  this 

Far-off,  infinite  bliss! 

— Edwin  Arnold. 


122 


X. 

NON-RESISTANCE. 

From  the  day  that  Jesus  propounded  his 
doctrine  of  non-resistance,  to  the  present 
time,  there  has  been  an  increasing  interest 
in  that  thought.  Jesus  speaking  to  the 
people  in  his  wonderful  Sermon  on  the 
Mount,  came  at  length  to  that  particular 
fallacy  in  the  popular  belief,  "Ye  have 
heard  that  it  hath  been  said,  An  eye  for 
an  eye  and  a  tooth  for  a  tooth."  Over 
against  this  conception  of  law  and  justice 
he  placed  a  new  idea,  "That  ye  resist  not 
evil,"  exhorting  the  people  to  carry  this 
doctrine  to  the  length  of  loving  their 
enemies,  giving  good  for  evil  and  blessing 
for  cursing.  Centuries  have  passed  since 
that  truth  was  proclaimed,  and  while  it 
has  not  been  lived  strongly  during  that 
time,  it  has,  nevertheless,  survived,  and 

123 


NON-RESISTANCE. 

today  Divine  Science  renews  the  teaching 
that  resistance  has  no  true  place  in  God's 
creation,  and  that  harmony  is  the  only 
law. 

The  revival  of  interest  in  this  law  of 
Truth  is  especially  opportune  at  a  time 
when,  to  many  earnest  souls,  there  seems 
to  be  so  much  in  the  world  to  be  overcome, 
and  which  apparently  cannot  be  overcome 
unless  it  is  resisted.  Sin  and  sickness 
seem  to  have  multiplied  despite  all  the 
customary  efforts  to  counteract  them,  and 
the  belief  may  be  quite  natural  that  the 
great  need  is  for  some  resisting  force  to 
overcome  them.  Resistance  as  a  means 
of  securing  harmony  is  a  fallacy.  True 
harmony  cannot  spring  from  inharmony, 
nor  peace  from  discord.  Resistance  fails 
because  it  is  not  in  accord  with  harmony, 
which  is  the  only  law. 

By  way  of  illustrating  these  last  state- 
ments in  their  application  to  overcoming 

124 


NON-RESISTANCE. 

the  common  iiiharmonies  of  life,  let  me 
relate  a  personal  inner  experience.  A 
friend  once  came  to  me  for  help,  claiming 
great  pain  in  the  limbs  and  calling  her 
feelings  rheumatism.  As  we  sat  in  the 
silence,  relaxed  and  receptive  to  the  con- 
sciousness of  Divine  Health,  there  sud- 
denly came  to  me  the  vision  of  a  large, 
clean,  attractive  kitchen.  There  was  no  one 
in  this  room,  and  as  I  looked  in  wonder, 
the  door  suddenly  opened,  and  a  broad 
band  of  sunlight  shone  across  the  floor. 
In  this  band  of  sunlight  there  were  many 
dancing  shadows.  Shortly  I  seemed  to 
hear  a  child's  voice  saying,  "See  how  the 
sunlight  flickers  on  the  floor,"  whereupon 
a  deep  grave  voice  answered,  "No,  child, 
the  sunlight  never  flickers,  it  is  only  the 
shadows  of  the  leaves."  As  I  continued  to 
look,  I  saw  a  human  form  standing  in  the 
sunlight.  The  form  was  radiant  with 
light,  save  for  a  few  dancing  shadows,  and 

125 


NON-EESISTANOB. 

again  1  seemed  to  hear  the  deep  grave 
voice  Baying,  "The  light  of  the  divine  and 
perfed  Life  never  flickers;  the  dancing 
shadows  are  but  false  conceptions." 

The  vision  then  vanished  as  suddenly  as 
it  had  come,,  but  I  had  learned  its  lesson 
and  knew  its  truth.  Still  in  the  silence, 
I  turned  to  my  friend  and  saw  within  her 
the  pure  and  perfect  light  of  the  Divine 
Presence,  save  for  a  few  flickering  shadows 
of  unenlightened  thought  where  she  had 
claimed  rheumatism.  I  knew  that  it  was 
necessary  only  to  let  go  of  the  false  con- 
ceptions of  the  reality  of  disease  in  order 
to  be  healed.  It  was  not  necessary  that 
either  she  or  I  should  resist  anything  in 
order  to  overcome  this  inharmony.  All 
that  was  necessary  was  to  banish  the 
shadows  by  knowing  the  eternal  reality  of 
the  all-pervading  Life  and  Health  of  God. 
From  this  experience  I  have  come  to  see 

126 


NON-RESISTANCE. 

and  know  the  truth  of  the  Master's  doc- 
trine, "That  ye  resist  not  evil." 

What,  then,  is  this  "evil"  that  we  are 
not  to  resist?  It  is  simply  a  shadow,  an 
unreality,  a  bit  of  man's  ignorance  of  his 
own  divinity,  a  false  conception,  a  lack  of 
consciousness  of  the  Truth.  And  what  is 
meant  by  "resisting"?  It  implies  opposi- 
tion, strife,  combat  with  an  adversary  in 
an  endeavor  to  defeat.  How,  then,  could 
we  possibly  reconcile  a  proposal  to  "resist 
evil"?  Would  it  avail  anything  to  fight  a 
shadow,  to  oppose  ignorance,  to  engage  in 
a  combat  with  an  unreality,  to  try  to 
defeat  something  which  is  not?  Would  a 
teacher  help  a  child's  ignorance  by  resist- 
ing its  lack  of  knowledge?  Surely  not; 
condemnation  of  ignorance  never  brought 
forth  the  light  of  knowledge.  All  students 
of  Truth  have  learned  by  this  time  that 
disease  is  only  a  shadow  which  is  never 
healed  by  claiming  its  reality  and  then 

127 


NON-EBSISTANOB. 

resisting  it.  Sin,  likewise,  is  but  a  lark 
of  knowledge  of  the  All-Good,  and  is 
not  overcome  through  opposition  and 
striving. 

Now,  just  as  hate  engenders  hate  and 
angei  brings  anger  in  return, so  resistance 
begets  resistance.  Thus  all  belief  of  wrong, 
whether  we  call  it  sin,  disease,  hate  or 
whatever  else,  returns  again  to  him  who 
sends  it.  If  one  argues  that  because  he 
wishes  to  be  rid  of  certain  inharmonv  he 
will,  therefore,  resist  it,  he  is  attacking 
t  he  matter  in  the  wrong  way.  Whatever 
is  resisted  is  probably  feared,  and  fear 
always  fights  back. 

But  this  view  of  non-resistance  is  not  to 
be  construed  as  meaning  that  one  should 
do  nothing  or  take  no  action  whatever 
toward  overcoming  inharmony.  This  is 
a  wrong  conception  of  non-resistance. 
Jesus  recognized  the  evil,  the  wrong,  the 
ignorance  in  the  world,  and  taught  that 

128 


NON-RESISTANCE. 

we  were  to  overcome  it,  but  not  by  resist- 
ance as  though  these  inharmonies  were 
real.  We  are  to  learn  that  overcoming 
consists  in  a  realization  of  the  nature  of 
the  shadows  and  a  consciousness  of  the 
truth  of  the  Light. 

It  is  true  that  there  is  a  negative  method 
of  treating  inharmony  and  it  brings  more 
or  less  peace  to  the  individual.  But  it  is 
not  the  way  of  power  or  of  growth.  This 
negative  method  produces  four  beliefs  in 
thought  which  are  called  non-resistant. 
They  are  (1)  selfish  indifference,  (2)  pas- 
sive endurance,  (3)  living  above  troubles 
and,  (4)  turning  the  back  on  them.  Any 
or  all  of  these  may  serve  for  a  time,  but 
they  all  mean  suppression  and  not  expres- 
sion, and  do  not  lead  into  the  kingdom  of 
joy  and  power. 

Jesus'  injunction  was  not  of  this  sort. 
He  was  very  positive  in  his  teaching  that 
it  was  necessary  to  overcome  evil;  that 

129 


NON-RESISTANCE. 

it  was  not  contemplated  that  one  should 
either  submit  to,  endure  or  ignore  inhar- 
mony,  but  that  these  things  being  nega- 
tive, were  to  be  overcome  with  the  positive 
good.  The  greater  portion  of  our  errors 
and  troubles  are  perpetuated  by  resisting 
them,  by  maintaining  a  wrong  attitude  of 
thought  toward  them.  It  is  a  common 
manner  of  expression,  "I  have  fought  this 
sin  or  sickness,  for  years,  but  without 
avail,  and  it  has  finally  gotten  the  better 
of  me."  The  lighting  has  been  suggested 
by  fear  of  the  evil,  and  fear  has  given 
certain  forms  of  ignorance  and  inharmony 
whatever  of  apparent  mastery  they  pos- 
sess. 

What  is  it  that  the  world  commonly 
denominates  "evil"?  In  the  light  of  this 
present  day  we  classify  under  the  head 
of  evil,  disease,  pain,  poverty,  sorrow, 
unpleasant  people,  disagreeable  surround- 
ings and  a  host  of  mental  beliefs,  such  as 

130 


NON-RESISTANCE. 

envy,  malice,  selfishness,  jealousy,  unkind- 
ness  and  criticism.  Shall  we  fight  and 
resist  these  things,  making  our  life  on 
earth  one  long  warfare?  God  forbid !  As 
Divine  Scientists  or  students  of  Truth  are 
we  not  scientific  enough  to  overcome  all 
of  them  with  Good?  "As  a  man  thinketh 
in  his  heart,  so  is  he,"  and  "Evil  unto  him 
who  evil  thinketh."  Paraphrasing  the 
latter  statement  we  may  just  as  truly  say, 
"Good  unto  him  who  good  thinketh." 

Let  us  consider  a  few  plain,  practical 
directions  for  overcoming  with  Good. 
First,  let  go  of  all  resentment,  and  dismiss 
all  fears  about  the  various  forms  of  evil 
which  have  found  their  way  into  your  life. 
Second,  establish  a  mental  attitude  of 
peace  and  contentment  toward  all  things, 
conditions  and  people.  "For  I  have  learned 
in  whatsoever  state  I  am,  therewith  to  be 
content."  Third,  use  love  and  goodness 
positively  as  a  dissolving  power.     The 

131 


NON-RESISTANCE. 

result  of  this  effort  t<>  use  Good  in  over- 
coming evil  will  bring  peace  and  harmony 
into  the  most  turbulent  life.  Evil  in  all 
its  forms  is  negative  and  but  a  shadow. 
Good  is  positive  and  the  recognition  and 
realization  of  Love  and  Goodness  as  the 
reality  back  of  every  appearance,  dissolve 
the  negation.  Good  is  the  logical  means 
of  overcoming  evil,  because  it  is  its  direct 
opposite.  One  cannot  dissolve  darkness 
with  more  darkness,  whereas  ever  so  little 
light  has  an  immediate  effect.  In  like 
manner  no  form  of  negation  can  be  over- 
come with  negation.  Disease  cannot;  be 
truly  overcome  by  applying  a  knowledge 
of  disease,  whereas  ever  so  slight  a  realiza- 
tion of  the  Truth  of  Health  will  overcome 
disease  truly  and  permanently. 

It  should  be  the  duty  of  all,  and  indeed 
the  joy  of  all,  continually  to  affirm  the 
reality  of  the  Divine  Presence  of  light, 
love  and  health ;  to  make  this  affirmation 

132 


NON-RESISTANCE. 

now  and  always  until  this  Omnipresence 
becomes  a  tangible  reality  to  us.  Then 
truly  for  us,  "There  shall  be  no  more 
death,  neither  sorrow  nor  crying,  neither 
shall  there  be  any  more  pain,  for  the 
former  things  are  passed  away."  "He 
that  overcometh  (by  love)  shall  inherit 
all  things;  and  I  will  be  his  God  and  he 
shall  be  my  son." 


133 


NON-RESISTANCE. 
STATEMENTS  FOR  MEDITATION. 

I  resist  nothing. 

1  overcome  all  seeming  evil  with  Good. 

There  is  no  reality  in  evil,  since  the  All- 

ness  of  God  is  everywhere. 
I  give  a  loving  thought  and  a  kind  word 

to  everyone  I  meet. 
I  am  source  of  joy  to  all  I  meet. 
I  go  out  to  bless  my  world  by  seeing  it 

filled  with  the  glory  of  the  Divine 

Presence. 
The  Father  blesses  my  work. 
The  blessing  of  the  Lord  maketh  rich,  and 

he  adds  no  sorrow  to  it. 


134 


NON-RESISTANCE. 


THE  LARGER  PRAYER. 

At  first  I  prayed  for  Light : 

Could  I  but  see  the  way, 
How  gladly,  swiftly  would  I  walk 

To  everlasting  day. 

And  next  I  prayed  for  Strength  : 
That  I  might  tread  the  road 

With  firm,  unfaltering  feet,  and  win 
The  heaven's  serene  abode. 

And  then  I  asked  for  Faith : 
Could  I  but  trust  my  God 

I'd  live  enfolded  in  His  peace 
Though  foes  were  all  abroad. 

But  now  I  pray  for  Love : 
Deep  love  to  God  and  man ; 

A  living  love  that  will  not  fail, 
However  deep  His  plan : 


135 


NON-RESISTANCE. 

And  Light  and  Strength  and  Faith 
Are  opening  everywhere! 

Cod  only  waited  for  me  (ill 
I  prayed  the  larger  prayer. 

— Mrs.  E.  D.  Cheney. 


136 


XI. 
SUPPLY. 

The  basis  of  all  demonstration  is  the 
Omnipresence.  Without  constant  recog- 
nition of  this  foundation  principle  it 
would  be  impossible  to  make  demonstra- 
tion in  any  form,  for  it  is  the  basis  on 
which  we  build  the  entire  structure. 

In  the  first  lesson  many  attributes  and 
qualities  of  Omnipresence  were  given; 
but  considered  especially  in  its  relation  to 
our  present  subject,  Omnipresence  means 
the  Allness  of  God,  as  the  fullness  of 
everything  that  man  can  conceive  of  as 
needed  for  his  complete  satisfaction.  Man 
is  instinctively  dissatisfied  to  be  weak, 
sick,  inharmonious  or  poor,  and  yet  he 
has  not  placed  his  conception  of  Divine 
Mind  high  enough  to  prevent  the  occa- 
sional appearance  of  these  negative  con- 

137 


SUPPLY. 

ditions.  Be  has  not  realized  that  the 
fullness  of  all  Good  is  in  himself  now  and 
eternally.  If  God  is  omnipresent  Life, 
Health  and  Substance,  it  is  possible  for 
everyone  to  so  demonstrate  the  truth  that 
Life  v*  ill  abound  in  a  remarkable  degree, 
that  perfect  Health  of  body  will  be  real- 
ized beyond  what  it  is  possible  to  attain 
through  any  other  means,  and  finally, 
that  perfect  Substance  will  be  manifested 
as  supply  for  every  need  of  mankind,  no 
inciter  what  that  need  is.  This  is  what 
perfect  realization  of  Omnipresence,  as 
defined  above,  would  mean;  for  there  is 
but  one  Substance  and  but  one  eternal 
Source  of  supply. 

Supply  operates  according  to  a  very 
simple  law — the  law  of  co-operation.  It 
is  to  be  found  in  circulation  and  not  in 
accumulation,  although  the  latter  has 
been  the  basis  of  many  a  life-long  effort  to 
supply  human  needs.     It  is  only  through 

138 


SUPPLY. 

co-operation  that  you  can  demonstrate 
supply.  The  freedom  with  which  you  can 
look  at  jour  manifest  supply  and  put  it 
into  circulation,  with  the  conscious  recog- 
nition of  the  fullness  of  the  omnipresent 
supply  from  which  to  draw,  is  the  law  by 
which  great  success  is  attained.  Consider 
supply  as  moving  in  a  circular  channel, 
with  the  individual  receiving  from  the 
stream  according  as  he  contributes  thereto. 
Perfect  supply  would  then  be  passing  every 
point  in  the  circle  at  all  times,  and  the 
individual  who  is  co-operating  will  have 
perfect  supply  at  his  command  constantly. 
It  may  be  conceived  that,  to  the  omni- 
present Spirit,  there  is  no  difference 
between  giving  and  receiving,  and  we 
should  endeavor  to  come  to  a  realizing 
consciousness  of  this  fact,  keeping  our- 
selves in  the  channel  through  which  circu- 
lates constantly  the  supply  for  every  need 
of  man. 

139 


SUPPLY. 

We  may  illustrate  the  operation  of 
this  law  as  follows:  If  you  have  a  con- 
sciousness of  this  Truth  which  you  are 
studying,  the  freedom  with  which  you 
communicate  it  to  others  is  the  law  by 
which  you  increase  your  store  of  Truth. 
The  freedom  with  which  you  look  upon 
the  supply  of  Truth  which  you  already 
realize,  and  the  readiness  with  which  you 
give  it  forth,  become  the  means  through 
which  you  realize  greater  Truth.  Likewise 
the  consciousness  of  universal  Love  and 
the  freedom  with  which  you  express  it  and 
give  it  to  the  world,  is  the  law  by  which 
you  realize  more  Love.  Nothing  is  ever 
fully  realized  by  you  unless  you  can 
express  it,  and  the  process  of  expression 
is  the  opening  of  a  channel  which  is 
not  only  an  outlet  but  also  an  inlet  for 
supply.  You  open  the  channel  by  mani- 
festing such  knowledge  of  Truth  as  you 
possess,  and  by  that  very  act  provide  an 

140 


SUPPLY. 

inlet  for  a  greater  supply.  To  withhold 
what  you  possess  effectually  blocks  the 
channel  so  that  perfect  supply  cannot 
flow  through  your  life. 

This  law  of  divine  co-operation  is  of 
God;  it  is  not  of  man's  making.  Get  it 
very  clearly  fixed  in  your  mind  that  the 
individual  is  merely  the  activity  through 
which  God's  supply  comes  into  form  for 
use.  You  are  the  channel  for  the  inflow 
and  the  outflow.  If  you  do  not  co-operate 
with  the  source  of  supply  by  keeping  the 
channel  open  there  is  positively  no  other 
means  whereby  perfect  supply  can  flow 
through  you.  The  law  is  one  of  eternal 
justice;  you  must  do  your  part.  When 
the  activity  of  the  individual  soul  ceases 
to  co-operate  with  divine  activity,  circula- 
tion for  that  one  is  stopped. 

It  is  usually  fear  that  stops  the  outflow. 
Not  knowing  the  omnipresent  supply,  and 
believing  your  various  possessions  to  be 

141 


SUPPLY. 

dependenl  on  your  own  activity,  you  fear 
to  give  freely  of  what  you  have.  Perhaps 
you  are  recognizing  sonic  individual  us 
your  source  of  supply;  or  it  may  be  thai 

your  faith  is  placed  in  some  special  ability 
which  you  attribute  to  your  own  person- 
ality. These  things  arc  not  (rue.  God  is 
the  omnipresent  Source  of  all  supply. 
Nothing  belongs  to  you  personally.  "You 
are  your  own  unfailing  part  of  life's  great 
whole,  nor  more  nor  less  than  any  other 
part  of  it."  When  you  recognize  that  all 
things  whatsoever  are  of  God ;  that  omni- 
present Substance  is  available  for  every 
need  of  mankind;  and  that  you  are  an 
agency  through  which  that  Substance  is 
made  tangible  for  your  use,  you  will  both 
give  and  receive  with  perfect  freedom. 

The  individual's  knowledge  of  this 
principle  brings  a  recognition  within 
himself  that  he  is  a  part  of,  and  that 
he  helps  to  make  manifest,  the  unlimited 

142 


SUPPLY. 

supply  of  God.  For  example,  deposits  of 
coal  and  other  minerals  existed  unknown 
and  unused  for  ages,  but  the  activity, 
application  and  co-operation  of  the  indi- 
vidual brought  them  into  circulation  and 
made  manifest  the  supply  for  a  great  need. 
Similarly  with  the  supply  for  all  other 
needs,  whether  spiritual,  mental,  physical 
or  so-called  material,  they  may  all  be 
satisfied  by  first  coming  into  a  conscious- 
ness of  the  Omnipresence  as  the  unfailing 
source  of  substance  and  supply.  Spiritual 
gifts,  wisdom,  health,  food,  shelter,  cloth- 
ing and  money,  are  all  from  the  same 
source  of  all  Good.  This  supply  is 
unfolding  from  the  invisible  into  tangible 
form  through  the  activity  of  man.  Each 
of  us  is  a  channel  through  which  supply  in 
all  forms  comes  into  general  circulation. 
Be  careful  in  applying  the  law  of  co- 
operation— giving  that  you  may  receive — 
that  your  motives  are  only  the  highest. 

143 


SUPPLY. 

Let  the  secret  analysis  of  your  soul  reveal 
only  purity  of  heart  and  honesty  of  pur- 
pose. Do  not  give  merely  thai  you  may 
receive.  Give  in  order  to  open  the  chan- 
nel, that  the  divine  abundance  may  flow 
through  you.  (Jive  because  it  is  the  law 
of  your  being  to  give;  receive  because  it 
is  the  law  of  your  being  to  receive.  It  is 
just  as  necessary  to  receive  as  to  give; 
we  need  only  be  actuated  by  the  right 
motives.  Your  purpose  and  aim  should 
be  to  bear  witness  to  the  Truth  in  this 
way  as  in  any  other. 

The  secret  of  any  failure  to  demon- 
strate supply  is  the  subtle  desire  to  get 
something  for  nothing.  The  law  will  not 
operate  in  that  manner.  Jesus  did  not 
teach  that  you  should  wait  until  you  had 
received  before  you  gave.  "Give  and  it 
shall  be  given  unto  you :  good  measure 
pressed  down,  and  shaken  together,  and 
running  over,  shall  men  give  into  your 

144 


SUPPLY. 

bosom.  For  with  the  same  measure  that 
ye  mete  withal,  it  shall  be  measured  to 
you  again."  (Luke  6:38.)  Thus  it  hap- 
pens that  we  are  often  cut  off  from  our 
supply  by  unwillingness  to  do  our  part. 
"A  pauper  is  one  who  has  not  conscious 
ability  to  circulate  the  things  of  God." 
All  supply  is  of  God,  and  if  we  fail  to 
circulate  the  supply  of  which  we  are  con- 
scious, we  become  paupers. 

If  you  have  a  financial  problem  to  meet, 
place  your  absolute  faith  in  the  omni- 
present supply,  knowing  that  it  comes 
from  one  source  through  many  channels. 
Clear  the  thought  and  the  mentality  of 
anxiety,  fear  and  worry,  substituting  faith 
and  trust.  Steadfastly  give  your  attention 
to  the  supreme  fact  that  the  Spirit  is  abso- 
lute power  and  will  adjust  the  condition. 
Believe  in  the  reality  of  abundance,  for 
just  as  long  as  you  believe  in  the  reality 
of  lack  you  will  be  subject  to  your  own 

145 


SUPPLY. 

belief.  When  you  have  thus  adjusted  your 
thought,  begin  to  co-operate  as  though  you 
had  received,  for  without  co-operation  you 
will  not  bring  supply  into  manifestation. 
The  Bible  abounds  in  many  references 
to  this  law  of  co-operation.  "There  is 
that  scattereth,  and  yet  increaseth;  and 
there  is  that  withholdeth  more  than  is 
meet,  but  it  tendeth  to  poverty."  (Prov. 
11 :24. )  If  a  man  hoard  grain  in  his  barn 
and  will  not  scatter  it  he  can  receive  no 
increase.  "In  the  morning  sow  thy  seed 
and  in  the  evening  withhold  not  thine 
hand."  The  first  clause  of  this  statement 
refers  to  the  beginning  of  your  demonstra- 
tion for  supply.  It  is  sowing  this  mental 
seed,  knowing  the  allness  of  the  abundance, 
opening  the  channel  by  giving  freely  of 
what  you  have,  blessing  it  as  it  goes  from 
you.  The  latter  clause  refers  to  receiving 
the  fruit  of  your  good  works.  The  process 

146 


SUPPLY. 

may  be  all  mental  at  first,  but  it  will 
presently  be  made  manifest. 

There  must  be  absolute  justice  in  receiv- 
ing and  giving;  making  adequate  recom- 
pense for  everything  that  you  receive  and 
asking  only  just  acknowledgment  from 
those  indebted  to  you.  No  merchant  could 
sustain  his  business  if  he  failed  to  observe 
these  rules.  To  give,  and  refuse  to  receive, 
is  as  unwise  as  to  try  to  receive  without 
giving ;  either  process  stops  the  channel  of 
supply  at  one  end  or  the  other.  In  this 
connection,  many  have  felt  that  practi- 
tioners of  Divine  healing  should  give  their 
services  free  inasmuch  as  it  is  Christ's 
work.  This  is  a  specious  argument,  as  a 
little  thought  will  show.  We  are  "many 
members  in  one  body,"  and  "all  members 
have  not  the  same  office."  We  all  have 
"gifts  differing  according  to  the  grace  that 
is  given  us."  One  who  has  attained  success 
along  any  line,  has  done  so  through  faith- 

147 


SUPPLY. 

ful  application  and  at  the  expense  of  time 
and  means.  No  one  would  expeet  gratui- 
tous service  from  such  a  person  or  think 
of  withholding  reasonable  compensation. 
Jesus  told  his  disciples,  when  sending  them 
out  to  do  his  work,  that  "the  laborer  is 
worthy  of  his  hire."  Mere  empty  pride 
actuates  that  person  who  wishes  always 
to  give,  without  receiving  any  compensa- 
tion therefor;  and  by  compensation  we  do 
not  necessarily  mean  money,  for  there  are 
many  other  ways  of  rendering  adequate 
return.  You  are  depriving  anyone  of  his 
very  means  of  demonstrating  supply  if 
you  positively  decline  to  allow  him  to 
give  something  in  return  for  what  he  has 
received.  Such  a  process  makes  paupers 
instead  of  individuals  who  recognize  the 
true  source  of  all  things. 

Now  this  law  of  supply  which  we  have 
been  considering  applies  not  only  to  the 
things  of  this  world,  but  to  the  qualities 

148 


SUPPLY. 

of  the  individual  consciousness.  Growth 
in  Love  and  Knowledge,  and  realization 
of  Joy,  Peace  and  Health,  result  from 
recognizing  and  living  in  accordance  with 
it.  Use  the  talents  which  have  been  given 
you  in  order  that  they  may  increase,  and 
that  you  may  thereby  add  to  the  world's 
supply  of  all  Good.  Open  every  channel 
and  withhold  nothing;  for  "with  such 
measure  as  ye  mete  withal,  it  shall  be 
measured  to  you  again."  Remember 
always  that  the  law  of  supply  is  based 
upon  circulation  and  not  upon  accumu- 
lation. 


149 


•    .  surn/v. 

STATEMENTS  FOR    MEDITATION. 

I  am  connected  with  the  unlimited  law  of 
supply. 

Through  Divine  Love  and  loving  co-opera- 
tion do  I  receive  my  supply. 

God's  gift  in  me  is  eternal  Life. 

I  am  purified  from  fear. 

I  am  a  channel  of  Divine  Abundance. 

I  am  one  with  the  unlimited  power  of  God. 

At  the  center  of  my  own  being  is  the  power 
to  meet  every  demand. 

I  give  freely  and  thereby  open  the  channel 
to  receive  the  Divine  Abundance. 


150 


SUPPLY. 

THE  LAW  OF  LOVE. 

"Pour  forth  the  oil — pour  boldly  forth; 
It  will  not  fail  until 
Thou  failest  vessels  to  provide, 
Which  it  will  largely  fill. 

Make  channels  for  the  streams  of  love, 
Where  they  may  broadly  run ; 

And  love  has  ever-flowing  streams 
To  fill  them  every  one. 

But  if  at  any  time  we  cease 

Such  channels  to  provide, 
The  very  founts  of  love  for  us 

Will  soon  be  parched  and  dried. 

For  we  must  share  if  we  would  keep 

That  blessing  from  above; 
Ceasing  to  give,  we  cease  to  have ; 

Such  is  the  lawt)f  love." 


151 


XII. 
SERVICE  IN  LOVE. 

Writers  in  all  ages  have  contemplated 
the  theme  of  Love,  and  have  reached  the 
universal  opinion  that  it  is  the  greatest 
thing  in  the  world.  Perhaps  the  most 
classic  epitome  of  Love,  its  attributes  and 
qualities,  is  to  be  found  in  Paul's  con- 
sideration of  the  subject  in  the  thirteenth 
chapter  of  first  Corinthians.  Other  writers 
have  enlarged  on  the  subject  and  have 
applied  it  to  special  conditions,  but  there 
is  no  one  who  has  treated  it  with  greater 
insight,  or  with  fuller  appreciation  than 
Paul. 

Let  us  in  the  very  beginning  of  this  les- 
son consider  the  Omnipresence  as  infinite, 
eternal,  boundless  and  changeless  Love. 
Let  us  take  a  few  statements  into  the 

152 


SERVICE  IN  LOVE. 

silence  to  bring  us  into  a  realization  of 
this  great  Presence. 

Love  is  the  Cause  of  all  things. 

Love  is  the  Source  of  all  things. 

Love  is  controlling  all  things. 

Love  is  the  eternal  Presence  within  me, 
guiding  me  in  all  my  ways. 

Pure,  divine  and  perfect  Love  is  the  very 
soul  of  the  whole  universe. 

After  we  have  silently  meditated  on  these 
five  statements  we  will  realize  that  since 
this  great  Love  is  everywhere,  we  as  indi- 
viduals must  necessarily  be  the  expression 
of  Love,  the  very  spirit  of  Divine  Love 
expressed  in  form.  We  will  then  under- 
stand that  the  reason  we  are  unhappy 
when  we  are  unkind  or  unloving  or  even 
indifferent,  is  that  we  are  acting  contrary 
to  our  own  nature,  which  is  always  pure 
and  perfect  in  Love. 

In  this  connection  we  at  once  recall  the 
Bible  verses  on  the  subject :  "Beloved,  let 

153 


SERVICE  IN  LOVE. 

us  love  one  another,  for  love  is  of  God 
and  every  one  that  loveth  is  born  of  God 
and  knoweth  God."  Beading  farther  we 
find  additional  evidence  pointing  toward 
the  unity  of  God  and  Love.  "He  thai 
loveth  not,  knoweth  not  God,  for  God  is 
love."  (1  John,  4;  7,  8.)  The  statement 
is  in  no  manner  equivocal.  It  does  not 
state  that  Love  does  not  know  us  at  all 
times,  or  is  not  with  us;  but  rather  that 
if  we  do  not  know  Love  and  express  it, 
we  have  not  yet  become  acquainted  with 
God. 

How,  then,  as  we  do  become  acquainted 
with  God,  or  with  Love,  are  we  to  use  this 
infinite,  impersonal  power  in  service? 
Service  without  Love  is  service  without 
God,  and  its  result  is  without  harmony 
and  cannot  possibly  be  a  means  of  further 
unfoldment. 

We  first  consecrate,  not  only  ourselves, 
but  our  bodies,  to  the  service  of  Love.  This 

154 


SERVICE  IN  LOVE. 

is  what  Paul  was  endeavoring  to  impress 
on  Ms  friends  when  he  said,  "I  beseech  you 
therefore,  brethren,  that  ye  present  your 
bodies  a  living  sacrifice,  holy,  acceptable 
unto  God."  In  this  manner  we  make  of 
our  bodies  channels  through  which  Love 
is  manifested  to  the  world.  There  are  five 
channels  for  this  manifestation :  the  eyes, 
the  ears,  the  voice,  the  hands  and  the  feet. 
Let  us  consider  what  manner  of  service  in 
Love  may  be  performed  through  these 
channels. 

Taking  first  the  eyes ;  if  they  are  to  serve 
in  Love  we  must  take  from  them  all  appear- 
ance of  anger,  worry,  fear,  coldness  and 
hardness,  and  show  forth  instead,  peace, 
trust,  faith,  warmth  and  Love.  We  must 
see  as  God  sees,  letting  our  very  souls  look 
through  these  wonderful  channels,  softly, 
gently,  looking  ever  for  the  Good  in  all, 
for  the  pure,  the  true,  the  grace  of  God 
that  hides  behind  the  mask  of  personality. 

155 


SERVICE  IN  LOVE. 

As  we  find  it   and   recognize  it,  it   will 
respond  to  our  call  and  come  into  outward 
expression. 
An  incident  from  personal  experience 

will  illustrate  this  truth.  I  was  once 
called  to  help  a  young  man  suffering 
from  the  claim  of  appendicitis.  On  enter- 
ing his  presence  I  was  received  not  only 
indifferently,  but  with  marked  disfavor. 
In  a  rather  cross  tone  he  inquired  why  I 
was  there.  I  replied  that  I  had  come  at 
his  mother's  request,  as  shewranted  to  save 
him  the  necessity  of  an  operation.  He 
indicated  his  displeasure  in  no  uncertain 
terms,  but  I  suggested  that  inasmuch  as 
I  had  come  a  long  distance  to  see  him, 
we  might,  for  his  mother's  sake,  have  a 
little  quiet  thought  together.  He  finally 
consented,  though  somewhat  reluctantly, 
and  when  we  had  finished  our  silence  I 
looked  earnestly  at  hi  in  and  said,  "What 
a  very  beautiful  love  nature  you  have." 

156 


SERVICE  IN  LOVE. 

His  astonishment  was  great  and  he  said, 
"I'd  like  to  have  you  know  that  I  have 
nothing  of  the  kind."  I  did  not  press  the 
matter  farther,  but  departed  saying  that 
I  would  return  the  following  day  unless 
otherwise  informed.  On  my  return  the 
next  day  he  met  me  at  the  door  with  a 
pleasant  greeting,  saying  that  he  had 
been  waiting  for  me,  and  showing  every 
courtesy  and  attention.  Of  course,  he 
was  much  improved,  but  the  point  to  be 
noted  here  is  his  great  change  in  attitude 
toward  people  and  things.  About  a  month 
later  his  mother  stated  to  me  that  her  son 
had  changed  completely.  Before  his  treat- 
ments he  had  been  careless,  cold  and 
selfish;  whereas  he  was  now  loving,  kind 
and  thoughtful. 

The  reader  will  perceive  that  by  the 
recognition  of  the  Truth  of  that  young 
man's  nature,  his  innate  divine  Love  was 
called  into  outward  expression.  The  eyes 

157 


SERVICE  IN  LOVE. 

being  used  in  the  service  of  Love,  saw  the 
Truth  of  his  nature  and  the  result  amply 
justified  the  faith  in  the  efficacy  of  Love 
as  the  only  power. 

The  ears  are  another  channel  for  the 
manifestation  of  Love  in  the  world.  How 
many  of  us  hear  the  great  voice  of  Love 
singing  in  the  world?  It  is  there,  and 
when  our  ears  are  opened  to  hear,  we  will 
find  it.  We  begin  by  listening  within  for 
the  inner  voice  of  Love;  for  until  we 
hear  that  voice  within  we  may  not  hear  it 
in  the  world.  But  once  it  is  heard  and 
recognized  within,  it  will  be  heard  in  all 
God's  creation. 

When  we  are  waiting  and  listening  for 
the  voice  of  Love  to  speak,  we  have  no 
time  nor  inclination  to  listen  to  the  voice 
of  gossip  or  criticism,  or  to  expressions  of 
negation  in  any  form.  If  we  are  placed 
where  such  discussions  are  going  on,  we 
quietly    affirm    to    ourselves,    "My    soul 

158 


SERVICE  IN  LOVE. 

hears  none  of  this."  Thus  we  help  our- 
selves and  others  as  well,  by  refusing  to 
listen  to  negative  conversation.  We  all 
know  that  conversation  will  not  long- 
thrive  on  a  subject  in  which  one  person 
takes  no  interest,  and  we  may  thus  direct 
it  away  from  negative  to  better  things. 
In  this  way  we  serve  by  bringing  out  the 
best  there  is  in  our  friend  or  neighbor, 
for  he  is  Love,  though  he  may  not  always 
manifest  it. 

Considering  the  voice,  we  find  a  beauti- 
ful opportunity  for  service  in  Love.  Our 
endeavor  should  be  to  train  the  thought 
so  that  the  voice  will  speak  only  words  of 
love,  peace  and  joy.  Truly,  "out  of  the 
tongue  are  the  issues  of  life."  Whether 
we  speak  words  of  blessing  or  of  condem- 
nation, they  form  themselves  into  external 
conditions.  By  guarding  the  thought  and 
keeping  it  pure  and  radiant  with  Truth 
and  Life,  our  voice  must  express  from 

159 


BERVIOE   IN  LOVE. 

such  a  consciousness,  only  words  of  Love 
thai  will  be  unfailing  in  their  power  to 
cheer  and  uplift.  Lei  each  one  resolve, 
"I  will  speak  always  on  the  side  of  the 
Truth/'  and  if  we  are  loyal  to  the  Truth 
we  will  be  given  words  of  wisdom  to  meet 
every  experience  in  life. 

The  hands,  also,  are  instruments  for 
service.  It  makes  no  difference  how  they 
serve,  what  apparently  menial  tasks  they 
may  be  called  upon  to  perform.  The  only 
essential  is  that  whatever  form  of  service 
they  are  used  in,  shall  be  done  in  Love 
and  without  resistance  to  the  task  at  hand. 
All  work  becomes  beautiful  and  pleasant, 
free  from  weariness  or  despondency,  when 
it  is  undertaken  always  with  the  thought 
of  service  in  Love  uppermost.  Have  you 
never  thought  how  everything  in  your 
home  or  office  is  serving  you  in  Love? 
The  very  chairs  you  sit  upon,  the  bed  on 
which  you  rest,  the  tables,  books,  pictures 

160 


SERVICE  IN  LOVE. 

and  even  the  clothing  on  your  body  serve 
you  continuously  in  the  most  silent,  unob- 
trusive manner.  The  invisible  presence  of 
Love  fills  all  space,  and  acts  upon  and 
through  all  things.  It  is  fitting,  then,  that 
we  should  stop  and  consider,  "How  well 
am  I  serving  my  world  in  Love?"  Every- 
thing in  the  universe  is  serving  in  some 
manner,  so  we  must  teach  our  hands  to 
serve  lovingly,  doing  all  things  "as  unto 
the  Lord,"  in  joy  and  sweetness  of  spirit. 

Finally,  our  feet  are  to  walk  the  path 
of  Love.  When  Ave  walk  in  fear  and 
worry,  unwilling  and  ungraciously,  we 
tire  quickly  and  feel  irritated  in  thought 
and  body;  but  when  we  walk  in  Love,  we 
are  co-operating  with  the  Truth  of  our- 
selves and  the  Truth  of  the  universe,  and 
we  feel  "strong  in  the  Lord  and  in  the 
power  of  his  might," 

We  give  this  great  service  in  Love 
because  it  is  our  true  nature  so  to  do. 

161 


SERVICE  IX  LOVE. 

Let  us  not  consider  it  something  foreign 
to  us,  something  to  be  acquired  artificially. 

All  overcoming  is  easy  when  we  put  Love 
into  the  work,  and  all  service  is  pleasant 
when  given  in  Love.  Love  is  conscious 
unity  with  all  that  is,  with  the  Truth  of 
All.  It  is  divinely  natural  to  love;  it  is 
unnatural  to  work  in  any  other  way.  Love 
is  the  uplifting  power  and  the  Principle 
of  Unity.  Without  Love  we  are  nothing, 
but  with  Love,  which  really  means  with 
God,  we  can  do  all  things,  for  Love 
redeems  all  things,  all  play,  all  work,  all 
places,  all  persons.  To  commence  to  love 
any  apparent  adverse  condition  in  life  will 
be  to  redeem  it  from  our  own  condemna- 
tion, which  is  all  that  it  really  needs  to 
become  desirable  in  our  sight. 

All  training  is  to  help  us  manifest  the 
attributes  of  the  Divine  within  us,  and 
as  we  open  every  channel,  Love,  which  is 
forever    pressing    for    an    outlet,    flows 

162 


SERVICE  IN  LOVE. 

through  us  to  the  great  blessing  of  our- 
selves and  others.  Nothing  pays  as  well 
as  Love;  nothing  returns  such  great  divi- 
dends. We  can  undertake  no  greater 
thing  than  to  enter  into  the  service  of 
Love,  for  true  greatness  lies  herein — that 
we  be  doers  of  Love  and  not  hearers  only.. 
"If  ye  know  these  things,  happy  also  are, 
ye  if  ye  do  them." 


163 


SERVICE  IN  LOVB. 

STATEMENTS  FOB  MEDITATION. 

There  is  one  God,  Father  of  all,  who  is 
above  all  and  through  all  and  in  all. 

God  is  love  and  God  is  Omnipresent ; 
hence  Love  is  above  and  in  and  through  all. 

Every  visible  thing  in  creation  is  per- 
vaded by  the  Omnipresent  Love,  and  is 
filled  with  its  power  and  perfection. 

I  will  open  my  eyes  to  the  truth  of  Love 
everywhere. 

God  hath  not  given  me  a  spirit  of  fear; 
but  of  love,  and  of  power  and  a  sound 
mind. 

Love  shall  so  shine  from  me  that  it  will 
illumine  all  my  world. 


164 


SERVICE  IN  LOVE. 

CONSECRATION. 

"Take  niy  life,  and  let  it  be 

Consecrated,  Lord,  to  thee; 
Take  my  moments  and  my  days ; 

Let  them  flow  in  ceaseless  praise. 
Take  my  hands  and  let  them  move 

At  the  impulse  of  thy  love ; 
Take  my  feet,  and  let  them  be 

Swift  and  beautiful  for  thee. 

Take  my  voice,  and  let  me  sing 

Always,  only,  for  my  King; 
Take  my  lips,  and  let  them  be 

Filled  with  messages  from  thee. 
Take  my  silver  and  my  gold; 

Not  a  mite  would  I  withhold ; 
Take  my  intellect,  and  use 

Every  power  as  thou  shalt  choose. 


165 


SERVICE  IN  LOVE. 

Take  my  will  and  make  it  thine; 

It  shall  be  no  Longer  mine; 
Take  mv  heart,  it  is  thine  own; 

It  shall  be  thy  royal  throne. 
Take  my  love;  my  Lord,  I  pom* 

At  thy  feet  its  treasure-store; 
Take  myself,  and  I  will  be 

Ever,  only,  all  for  thee." 


166 


XIII. 

JOY. 

The  importance  of  a  right  beginning  is 
so  thoroughly  accepted  a  fact  that  it  has 
become  proverbial.  How  easy  it  is  to  domi- 
nate the  thought  of  a  whole  day  by  a  little 
concentration  on  a  good  idea  in  the  early 
morning,  and  how  surely  are  the  hours  of 
sleep  and  rest  affected  by  the  last  waking 
thought.  The  whole  life,  likewise,  is  influ- 
enced by  early  teachings  and  habits,  and 
proficiency  in  any  one  line  of  work  depends 
largely  on  the  way  in  which  it  was  begun. 
Consequently  the  value  of  making  the 
right  beginning  cannot  be  overestimated. 
How  essential  it  is,  therefore,  that  anyone 
beginning  the  study  of  Divine  Science  shall 
get  a  clear  conception  of  the  elementary 
principles  on  which  to  build  the  structure 
of  life. 

167 


JOY. 

The  subject  of  Uiis  lesson  is  one  that, 
perhaps,  lias  been  ;i  little  neglect e<l  or 
underestimated  in  its  relation  to  life.  A 
great  deal  lias  been  said  and  written  about 
peace,  and  probably  more  about  love,  until 
we  have  quite  a  clear  idea  of  the  value 
and  power  of  these  qualities.  Hut  joy  has 
been  the  subject  of  many  false  concepts. 
Certainly  in  the  old  thought,  joy  is  post- 
poned to  a  time  and  place  called  heaven, 
and  people  regard  suffering  and  misery  as 
a  necessary  part  of  life  on  the  earth  plane. 
And  sometimes  people  in  the  new  thought 
forget  that  joy  and  happiness  are  inherent 
elements  of  true  life  and  are  to  be  known 
and  experienced  now.  Is  it  not  significant 
that  the  advent  of  Christ  was  announced 
with  a  proclamation  of  joy?  "Behold  I 
bring  you  good  tidings  of  great  joy,  which 
shall  be  to  all  people."  Are  we  not  justified, 
therefore,  in  emphasizing  this  note  of  joy 
in  the  beginning  of  our  study  of  Truth? 

168 


JOY. 

Surely  joy  and  happiness  should  be  a  part 
of  our  experience  now  and  always. 

We  can  come  very  quickly  into  a  realiza- 
tion of  this  great  joy.  Everyone  who  has 
studied  the  principles  of  Divine  Science 
and  knows  the  omnipresence  of  God,  the 
unity  of  Life,  the  purity  of  all  Substance 
and  the  reality  of  Health,  realizes  these 
tidings  of  great  joy.  Whoever  has  come 
into  a  full  knowledge  of  Truth  may  con- 
stantly abide  in  joy.  All  gloom  should  have 
passed  away  from  such  a  soul. 

If  joy  is  not  a  reality  in  your  life,  you 
need  a  change  of  thought.  "|Be  ye  trans- 
formed by  the  renewing  of  your  mind." 
Simply  be  renewed  by  the  strong  con- 
sciousness of  the  presence  of  God.  That 
alone  will  give  you  joy  through  a  realiza- 
tion of  the  unreality  of  many  things  which 
seem  temporarily  to  affect  your  life,  but 
which  will  pass  away.  The  little  things 
that  worry  and  trouble  you,  crowding  out 

169 


JOY. 

the  spirit  of  joy,  amount  to  nothing  and 
have  only  Buch  power  as  von  give  them  in 
your  thought.  It  is  a  common  experience 
thai  after  a  season  of  worry  and  anxiety 
we  see  the  futility  of  it  all  and  realize  that 
joy  might  better  have  dominated  our 
thought  to  the  exclusion  of  worry.  Joy 
is  real,  eternal  and  changeless,  while  the 
other  beliefs  are  temporary  and  without 
reality. 

Joy  is  the  fullness  of  divine  content.  It 
sees  its  own  creation  as  perfect,  harmoni- 
ous, divine.  Joy  is  complete  satisfaetion 
here  and  now,  so  that  we  do  not  long  con- 
tinually for  all  manner  of  external  things 
to  make  us  happy  and  joyous.  It  is  a 
state  of  serene  consciousness,  not  created 
by  any  act  of  the  will,  but  entered  into 
through  unfoldment,  through  constant 
thought  and  study  of  Truth.  We  find  it 
when  we  absolutely  know  our  unity  with 
the  Spirit,  which  is  universal  Joy.    "I  too 

170 


JOY. 

partake   of   that   great   invisible   Spirit, 
which  is  perfect,  divine,  abiding  Joy." 

The  joyous  souls  are  not  always  those 
who  have  many  things  in  the  external. 
Some  of  them  seem  to  have  nothing  in  the 
external  to  make  them  happy,  yet  they 
rejoice  in  the  Joy  of  the  Spirit.  Joy  should 
spring  forth  in  the  human  heart  and 
should  be  fostered  as  one  cares  for  a  beau- 
tiful plant,  in  order  that  it  may  remain  to 
make  life  bright,  Cultivate  the  spirit  of 
joy  within  you  and  it  will  change  your 
very  life.  It  is  always  ready  to  manifest 
itself,  but  it  must  be  made  welcome. 

Many  people  are  afraid  to  be  joyous,  and 
consequently  never  are.  Fear  shuts  out 
joy  as  clouds  obscure  the  sun.  There  is  that 
foolish  notion  that  too  free  indulgence  in 
joy  and  happiness  will  be  followed  by 
some  sort  of  disaster.  Put  away  all  fear ; 
banish  all  belief  in  misery  and  unhappi- 

171 


JOY. 

licss;  know  that  joy  is  a  true  attribute  of 
the  Spirit  of  God  and  man. 

In  time  of  adversity  prepare  for  pros- 
perity. The  blue  is  always  back  of  the 
clouds  and  all  we  have  to  do  is  to  dissipate 
the  latter.  In  times  of  depression  prepare 
for  joy.  Never  hold  on  to  depression  or 
feel  that  such  a  belief  is  going  to  stay  with 
you  permanently.  Any  condition  which 
is  opposed  to  joy  is  but  a  belief  in  your 
own  thought  which  is  depressing  you  by 
crowding  joy  out  of  your  consciousness; 
so  realize  the  unreality  of  it  and  prepare 
for  joy  which  is  real  and  eternal. 
"So  brief  the  time  to  smile, 

Why  darken  we  the  air 

With  frowns  and  tears,  the  while 

We  nurse  despair. 

Stand  in  the  sunshine  sweet, 

And  treasure  every  ray, 

Nor  seek  with  stubborn  feet 

The  darksome  way." 

172 


JOY. 

Joyousness  is  not  frivolity  nor  foolish- 
ness, although  it  may  be  so  regarded  by 
those  who  make  of  life  a  struggle,  a  rebel- 
lion or  a  tragedy.  It  is  something  which 
sweetens  our  life  and  our  environment. 
Joy  is  the  sunshine  of  the  soul.  If  the  soul 
is  still  in  darkness,  open  it  to  the  sunshine. 
We  can  keep  out  the  light  if  we  will,  but 
we  might  as  well  let  it  in  and  be  so  filled 
with  the  consciousness  of  joy  that  we  will 
experience  it  continuously.  All  nature 
urges  us  to  look  through  smiles  and  not 
through  tears. 

"Ever  laughs  the  sunlight  in  our  eyes,  at 
morning  and  at  noon 
Comes  the  cool,  pure  wind  to  whisper  on 

our  cheek  its  cheery  tune, 
Just  to  tell  us  earth  is  beautiful,  and  at 

the  quiet  even 
Every  star  looks  down,  lest  we  forget 
that  earth  is  crowned  with  heaven." 
173 


JOY. 

There  is  quite  a  marked  difference  be- 
tween joy  and  what  is  called  happiness. 
The  root  meaning  of  happiness  is  "that 
which  happens."  Happiness  is  not  an 
abiding  state  of  joy.  We  may  be  made 
happy  by  something'  which  happens  in 
our  life,  or  may  be  unhappy  if  it  does  not 
happen.  We  may  obtain  happiness  from 
the  external ;  we  do  not  attain  it  from  the 
inner.  Consequently  it  passes  away  as 
things  change  and  grow  old,  and  we  find 
ourselves  dependent  for  more  happiness 
on  more  occurrences  in  the  external.  If 
we  are  not  happy  or  joyous  without  things 
to  make  us  so,  we  have  not  entered  into 
the  consciousness  of  joy.  Joy  is  that  calm 
inner  state  of  blessedness  which  depends 
on  no  external  thing.  Things  can  give  us 
happiness  for  a  time  but  can  never  give 
us  an  abiding  sense  of  joy.  If  this  were 
not  true,  people  who  have  the  greatest 
possessions,  the  greatest  number  of  things, 
174 


JOY. 

would  be  the  happiest  people  in  the  world. 
But  they  are  not ;  the  fact  is  that  greatest 
joy  is  found  in  people  who  have  little  of 
the  external.  We  have  not  entered  into 
the  blessedness  of  joy  until  we  have  found 
it  within  ourselves. 

There  is  nothing  to  keep  us  out  of  this 
state  except  ourselves.  Joy  is  of  the  soul 
and  is  rooted  and  grounded  in  God.  It 
belongs  to  the  wealth  of  one's  own  being ; 
it  is  one  of  the  blessed  possessions  of  the 
soul.  As  we  come  into  the  consciousness 
of  joy,  we  will  enter  a  beautiful  life  of 
service.  We  will  be  light  bearers  to  the 
world,  which  is  as  yet  in  the  darkness  of 
false  beliefs.  The  light  of  joy  from  within 
us  will  illumine  and  transform  everything 
upon  which  it  falls.  Thus  we  have  the 
power  within  ourselves  to  be  transforming 
agents  in  the  world.  If  our  light  seems 
darkened  at  times  by  the  clouds  of  false 
belief,  it  is  our  place  to  remove  the  clouds, 

175 


JOY. 

for  God  never  puts  a  veil  between  Himself 
and  His  creation ;  it  is  we  who  get  in  the 
shadow  of  a  false  belief  that  we  are  hold- 
ing in  onr  own  thought. 

The  gift  of  a  bright  and  cheerful  dispo- 
sition is  a  good  one.  If  we  have  a  radiant 
thought  atmosphere  and  can  always  see 
the  bright  side  of  life,  we  share  our  joy 
with  others.  Let  ns  smile  and  give  a 
cheery  greeting  to  everyone  we  meet.  We 
may  not  know  how  much  joy  we  have  in 
life  until  we  begin  to  express  it.  Even  if 
we  have  friends  who  come  to  us  with  dark 
and  gloomy  tales,  let  us  listen  and  know 
the  truth  of  joy  for  them,  for  we  will  thus 
bring  them  into  a  better  state  of  conscious- 
ness. Let  us  have  a  note  of  joy  in  our 
voices ;  we  should  not  affect  a  complaining 
attitude  in  the  hope  or  expectation  of 
receiving  pity  from  others.  Self-pity  or 
the  pity  of  others  is  weakening  and  should 
not  be  indulged.     Emerson  says,  "Sym- 

176 


JOY. 

pathize  with  my  strength,  not  with  my 
weakness." 

No  one  can  attain  a  consciousness  of 
joy  for  us,  nor  can  we  get  it  from  another. 
We  may  help  each  other,  but  each  one 
must  come  into  it  in  his  own  unfoldment. 
Let  us  go  along  the  road  with  a  bright 
smile  and  a  happy  word,  recognizing  the 
fullness  of  joy  for  ourselves  and  for  our 
brother.  We  are  all  "comrades  on  the 
great  highway  of  life,"  and  if  we  rejoice 
in  the  happiness  of  others,  we  will  find 
our  own  joy  and  happiness  increasing. 


177 


JOY. 
STATEMENTS  FOB  MEDITATION. 

I  am  a  radiant  center  <>r  joy. 

Nothing  dark  can  come  to  me. 

I  transform  everything  I  shine  upon. 

I  have  a  merry  heart. 

A  merry  heart  is  better  than  medicine. 

I  rejoice  and  am  glad. 

I  sing  unto  my  world  a  new  song. 

Joy  is  the  grace  I  say  to  God. 

I  go  forth  to  manifest  the  joy  I  am. 


178 


JOY. 


TAKE  JOY  HOME. 

Take  joy  home  and  make  a  place 

In  thy  heart  for  her, 
And  give  her  time  to  grow 

And  cherish  her ; 
Then  will  she  come  and  oft 

Will  sing  to  thee 
When  thou  art  working 

In  the  furrows,  aye, 
Or  weeding  in  the  sacred  hour  of  dawn. 
It  is  a  comely  fashion  to  be  glad — 

Joy  is  the  grace  we  say  to  God. 
— Jean  Ingelow. 


179 


XIV. 
SPIRITUAL  GUIDANCE. 

Perhaps  it  has  occurred  to  you  many 
times  to  ask :  What  shall  be  the  true  and 
infallible  guide  of  life?  You  have  learned 
that  true  guidance  must  be  spiritual  and 
come  from  within,  but  perhaps  you  have 
wondered  how  you  were  to  recognize  the 
promptings  of  that  invisible  spirit,  that 
still  small  voice,  so  that  you  might  follow 
it  confidently,  knowing  that  it  would  lead 
you  only  into  Truth.  Let  us  consider  the 
various  guides  that  might  be  followed,  and 
by  eliminating  the  false,  see  more  clearly 
wherein  we  may  safely  place  our  reliance. 

The  voice  of  the  external  is  not  a  safe 
guide.  It  recognizes  the  negative  as  well 
as  the  positive  and  labels  its  life  of  per- 
sonality with  disease,  lack,  sorrow  and 
death.     It   produces   shadow   conditions 

180 


SPIRITUAL  GUIDANCE. 

that  darken  the  years  of  the  soul  while  on 
the  earth  plane,  and  speaks  of  unreality  as 
though  it  had  power  to  affect  the  true  life. 
Taken  all  in  all,  the  voice  of  the  external 
world  and  its  activities  is  designed  to  lead 
us  only  into  a  belief  of  confusion  and 
mixed  thought  from  which  it  will  be  very 
difficult  to  extricate  ourselves.  It  is  best 
to  abandon  it  completely  and  cease  from 
following  after  it. 

As  you  give  the  subject  a  little  thought 
you  will  experience  a  growing  distrust  of 
the  generally  accepted  means  of  ordering 
your  life.  The  preachers  cease  to  interest 
you  and  the  physicians  fail  to  heal  you. 
Having  experienced  everything  which  the 
external  has  to  offer,  you  are  forced  to 
the  conclusion  that  you  must  look  else- 
where for  true  guidance. 

You  turn  to  the  mental  realm.  You 
begin  to  think  and  reason.  You  find  some- 
one whom  you  conceive  to  be  a  great  soul 

181 


SPIRITUAL  GUIDANCE. 

and  who  seems  to  have  found  the  Truth. 
You  temporarily  establish  yourself  in  his 
doctrine.  You  think  his  thoughts  and 
order  your  life  accordingly.  But  even 
this  proves  unsatisfactory  to  your  soul's 
desire  and  you  begin  to  wonder  where  this 
great  soul  got  his  knowledge  of  Truth. 
You  argue  that  there  must  be  some 
original  source  of  all  knowledge,  and  you 
determine  to  get  your  own  ideas  at  the 
fountain  head. 

Yrou  have  heard  and  read  much  con- 
cerning the  silence  and  the  voice  of  the 
silence,  and  you  seek  the  invisible  guiding 
power  through  this  medium.  Here  again 
you  may  be  temporarily  unsuccessful.  We 
regard  the  whole  invisible  plane  as  the 
silence  simply  because  we  are  more  or  less 
in  ignorance  of  what  the  invisible  holds. 
There  are  thousands  of  voices  and  count- 
less thoughts  in  the  mental  atmosphere, 
and  it  is  as  unlikely  that  one  should  learn 

182 


SPIRITUAL  GUIDANCE. 

truth  from  that  atmosphere  as  from  the 
confusion  of  tongues  in  the  external.  All 
of  the  thoughts  that  come  for  admission  to 
your  consciousness,  do  not  carry  the  truth 
you  are  seeking.  The  mere  fact  that  a 
thought  comes  to  you  from  the  invisible 
is  no  test  of  its  infallibility,  and  thus  we 
see  that  a  false  guidance  may  be  encount- 
ered in  the  silence  as  well  as  in  the  outer. 

The  mental  confusion  that  this  gives 
rise  to  is  well  illustrated  in  anyone  who 
desires  spiritual  help,  but  who  is  aware  of 
two  voices  within — :one  urging  reliance 
on  Divine  Science  and  the  other  arguing 
that  no  help  can  come  from  such  a  source. 
Each  of  these  silent  voices  comes  in  turn 
to  control  such  an  individual,  and  unless 
discrimination  is  made  between  the  true 
and  false  voice,  the  right  step  will  not  be 
taken. 

Impulse  may  be  mistaken  for  the  still, 
small  voice  that  you  are  listening  for. 

183 


SPIRITUAL  GUIDANCE. 

But  impulse  is  only  a  shadow  brother  of 

intuition,  and  will  often  lead  you  astray. 
It  is  the  experience  of  many  who  first 
come  into  this  thought,  I  hat  (hey  may 
listen  in  the  silence  for  many  months  and 
sometimes  years  before  they  experience 
the  voice  of  the  Spirit  as  the  guiding  force 
in  their  lives.  They  listen  apparently  in 
vain,  waiting  intently,  but  hearing  nothing 
until  some  day  they  suddenly  hear  the  true 
voice  of  spiritual  guidance.  There  is  no 
confusion  in  thought  at  such  a  time  and 
the  experience  is  one  never  to  be  for- 
gotten. The  life  is  changed,  the  shadows 
flee  and  the  individual  becomes  conscious 
of  the  divine  self  within. 

Now  you  may  rightfully  question : 
Whence  comes  this  voice  and  to  whom 
does  it  belong?  It  is  the  voice  of  your 
real  self  and  comes  wholly  from  within 
you.  It  is  of  the  divine  indwelling  Pres- 
ence, holy  and  pure,  knowing  and  express- 

184 


SPIRITUAL  GUIDANCE. 

ing  only  the  truth  which  is  suitable  for 
your  state  of  unfoldment,  It  speaks  with 
few  words,  gives  no  long  intellectual 
discourses.  It  speaks  simply  and  does 
not  argue.  All  argument  is  caused  by 
disagreement  among  the  thought  children 
of  your  own  mentality  and  has  no  connec- 
tion with  thejroice  of  Truth.  To  abide  by 
the  result  of  argument  in  your  mentality 
is  not  to  be  compared  with  following  the 
voice  of  the  intuition;  the  one  leads  to 
confusion,  the  other  to  clear  vision  and 
action. 

You  will  get  no  false  guidance  from  the 
voice  of  your  inner  true  self.  It  stands 
back  of  all  the  unreality  that  your  men- 
tality brings  to  you,  and  is  always  ready 
to  help  when  recognized  and  appealed  to. 
But  even  though  you  hear  this  voice,  you 
may  not  choose  to  follow,  for  the  voice 
calls  not  to  ease,  comfort  and  material 
joys.  It  counsels  you  to  follow  and  uphold 

185 


SPIRITUAL  GUIDANCE. 

whatsoever  things  are  true;  and  in  the 
conventional  standards  of  the  world  today 
this  is  not  always  easy  or  pleasant.  To  be 
true  to  self  is  sometimes  the  hardest  task 
we  can  take  up,  for  we  have  been  follow- 
ing untrue  paths  for  so  long  that  the  old 
habits  are  hard  to  break. 

You  will  not  always  have  to  go  into  the 
silence  in  order  to  hear  the  voice  of  your 
inner  self.  It  always  speaks  and  tells  you 
what  is  right.  You  need  ask  no  outer 
teacher,  no  book,  no  invisible  friend  for 
the  Truth ;  for  the  Presence  that  is  within 
you  is  greater  than  all  that  is  without. 
Listen  and  obey  the  voice.  Speak  the 
Truth.  Act  without  hesitation  or  argu- 
ment. 

If  at  any  stage  in  your  unfoldment 
you  feel  that  you  are  not  ready  for  the 
highest  statement  made  by  those  whose 
consciousness  is  more  expanded  than  your 
own,  do  not  strive  to  force  yourself  to 
186 


SPIRITUAL  GUIDANCE. 

believe  simply  because  someone  else  whom 
you  respect  makes  the  statement.  Lean 
only  on  your  own  perception,  rejoicing  in 
the  measure  of  truth  that  you  do  perceive 
and  you  will  find  that  you  will  be  guided 
into  greater  comprehension  of  truth.  The 
whole  race  is  growing  into  a  higher  con- 
sciousness and  the  Presence  within  is 
pressing  forward  for  greater  expression. 
This  is  an  evidence  of  confidence  in  the 
divine  promptings  from  within,  of  true 
self-confidence,  which  is  the  beginning  of 
spiritual  growth. 

At  first  it  is  not  your  part  to  lead,  but 
to  follow.  You  are  not  expected  to  blaze 
the  new  trail,  but  to  rely  on  the  leading 
of  the  Spirit  within,  keeping  the  thought 
receptive  and  willing  to  listen  to  the  voice 
of  Truth.  Until  you  learn  to  have  faith 
in  your  own  divine  promptings  you  are 
a  follower  and  not  a  leader.  As  you  pro- 
gress and  are  lifted  up,  as  your  convictions 

187 


SPIRITUAL  GUIDANCE. 

grow  in  strength  and  your  consciousness 
of  truth  increases, your  light  will  illumine 
the  way  for  others.  Every  great  reli- 
gious or  philosophical  movement  has  had 
a  leader  to  whom  the  Truth  was  revealed 
in  the  highest  degree.  If  all  the  followers 
of  such  movements  had  received  the  same 
revelation,  the  progress  of  the  Truth  would 
have  been  wonderful. 

Do  not  make  laborious  efforts  at  spiritual 
insight,  Let  your  silent  periods  be  short 
and  many  rather  than  long  and  few. 
Neither  should  you  hasten  to  convert  the 
world  to  something  which  you  may,  as 
yet,  only  believe  without  having  a  firm 
conviction  and  knowledge  of  its  truth. 
You  are  in  no  danger  of  losing  the  respect 
of  others  if  you  quietly  stand  fast  in  your 
faith,  bearing  witness  to  the  Truth  as  you 
know  it.  You  may  be  sure  that  if  your 
light  is  always  shining,  you  will  be  sought 
out  by  such  as  wish  to  have  the  dark 

188 


SPIRITUAL  GUIDANCE. 

places  of  their  lives  illumined.  The  voice 
from  within  will  guide  you  in  these  mat- 
ters as  in  all  else. 

The  Presence  whose  guidance  we  seek 
is  everywhere.  It  is  the  same  Spirit  which 
was  in  Jesus  and  which  is  now  in  you  and 
in  us  all.  To  know  its  voice  and  live  in 
harmony  with  it,  is  peace  and  joy  and  life 
eternal. 


189 


SPIRITUAL  GUIDANCE. 


SUGGESTIONS    TO    THOSE    WHO 
WISH  TO  BE   LED  BY  THE 

SPIRIT. 
Nona  L.  Brooks. 

We  are  where  we  are  by  Law,  not  by 
chance. 

Each  individual  has  a  mission. 

The  God-life  has  been  given  to  each;  a 
great  trust  is  for  a  great  purpose. 

Each  may  know*  what  his  mission  is  and 
can  fulfill  it,  if  he  is  willing  to  be  led  by 
the  Spirit  to  that  end. 

The  following  suggestions  are  offered: 

1.  Lay  aside  ambition  and  personal 
desire. 

2.  Be  willing  to  go  when  called  and 
wherever  led. 

3.  Declare  steadfastly : 

(a)  That  the  Spirit  knows  what  is 
best  for  you. 

190 


SPIRITUAL  GUIDANCE. 

(b)  That  the  Spirit  is  guiding  you 
there — to  your  own  place. 

(c)  That  whatever  is  best  to  prepare 
and  develop  you  for  this  mission  will  come 
through  the  Spirit. 

4.  Know : 

(a)  That  each  kind  of  work  that  comes 
to  you  is  part  of  the  plan  and  must  be 
done  heartily  as  unto  God. 

(b)  That  work  is  "high"  or  "low"  not 
according  to  the  kind,  but  according  to 
the  motive  that  prompts  it  and  the  dispo- 
sition in  which  it  is  accomplished.  The 
individual  exalts  the  work. 

(c)  That  the  whole  need  in  harmon- 
izing environment,  changing  conditions, 
removing  limitations  and  in  realizing 
peace,  plenty  and  success,  is  to  work  with 

one's  own  self. 
i 

5.  Cultivate    the    habit    of    trustful 

thinking. 

6.  Insist  on  inward  serenity. 

191 


SPIRITUAL  GUIDANCE. 

7.  Look  upon  your  present  occupation 
as  God-given,  and  love  it.  Rest  assured 
that  as  soon  as  you  have  fulfilled  in  this, 
the  next  will  come. 

8.  Be  very  certain,  in  any  responsi- 
bility thrown  upon  you  by  the  Spirit,  that 
by  the  same  Spirit,  will  you  be  given  the 
wisdom  and  strength  to  execute. 

9.  Keep  your  thought  from  evil  and 
your  lips  from  speaking  guile : 

(a)  Do  not  read  the  "horrors"  in  the 
newspapers.    Do  not  talk  about  them. 

(b)  Do  not  discuss  inharmonious  con- 
ditions. 

(c)  Do  not  worry,  fear  nor  doubt. 

(d)  See  the  good  in  every  one  and  in 
every  thing. 

10.  Repeat  often : 
Self-interest  does  not  influence  me. 
Impulse  does  not  guide  me. 
Prejudice  does  not  warp  me. 
Opinion  does  not  bind  me. 

192 


SPIRITUAL  GUIDANCE. 

Neither  family  nor  friends  hinder  me. 

Self-depreciation  does  not  limit  me. 

Remembrance  of  past  or  fear  of  future 
does  not  weaken  me. 

I  do  not  limit  God's  power. 

Let  us  have  patience  that,  after  we  have 
done  the  will  of  God,  we  may  receive  the 
promise. 

"Sufficient  unto  each  moment  is  the 
Wisdom  and  Strength  thereof." 


193 


SPIRITUAL  GUIDANCE. 

THE    INDWELLING  GOD. 

Go  not,  my  soul,  in  search  of  him; 

Thou  wilt  not  find  him  there, 
Or  in  the  depths  of  shadow  dim 

Or  heights  of  upper  air. 

For  not  in  far  off  realms  of  space 
The  Spirit  hath  its  throne ; 

In  every  heart  it  findeth  place, 
And  waiteth  to  be  known. 

Thought  answereth  alone  to  thought, 
And  soul  with  soul  hath  kin. 

The  outward  God,  he  findeth  not 
Who  finds  not  God  within. 

And  if  the  vision  comes  to  thee, 
Revealed  by  inward  sign, 

Earth  will  be  full  of  Deity 
And  with  Mis  glory  shine. 


194 


SPIRITUAL  GUIDANCE. 

Then  go  not  thou  in  search  of  Him, 

But  to  thyself  repair, 
Wait  thou  within  the  silence  dim, 

And  thou  shalt  find  him  there. 

— F.  L.  Hosmer. 


195 


XV. 
LIVING  THE  LIFE. 

"And  if  you  be  led  of  the  Spirit  you  are 
not  under  the  law." 

"But  the  fruit  of  the  Spirit  is  love,  joy, 
peace,  long  suffering,  gentleness,  goodness, 
faith, meekness, temperance;  against  such 
there  is  no  law." 

We  have  to  go  back  many  centuries  to 
find  out  what  it  really  means  to  live  the 
life, or  as  Paul  puts  it,  "live  by  the  Spirit." 
He  saw  and  told  us  in  plain,  simple  words 
how  to  do  easily  that  which  we  are  striv- 
ing to  demonstrate  today.  All  of  the 
Illumined  have  appreciated  the  same  law 
of  beautiful  living,  for  Truth  is  eternal 
and  changeless  and  must  be  perceived 
by  all  alike.  The  perfect  inherences  of 
the  Universal  Source  are  ready  to  flow 
through  us  into  outward  expression,  and 

196 


LIVING  THE  LIFE. 

it  is  our  place  to  make  the  channel  so  clear 
that  the  glory  of  the  Omnipresence  may- 
be able  to  shine  without  obstruction.  We 
who  claim  to  have  caught  a  glimpse  of 
the  indwelling  One  may,  by  cultivating 
the  fruits  of  the  Spirit,  "make  straight 
the  pathway  of  the  Lord."  Joy  and 
tenderness,  love  and  peace  without  a 
ripple  of  emotion,  serenity  that  nothing 
can  disturb — these  will  combine  to  make 
the  inner  and  outer  as  one. 

Having  become  conscious  of  our  Divine 
nature,  we  are  now  walking  the  path 
which  leads  eventually  to  the  fullness  of 
that  health,  peace  and  satisfaction  which 
we  know  has  been  given  us,  even  though 
it  may  not  yet  be  manifested.  We  are 
bringing  our  thought  under  control,  and 
purifying  our  words  and  actions.  We  are 
no  longer  under  any  law,  but  areone  with 
the  spiritual  law  of  unfoldment  from  the 
unlimited  within.    From  now  on  we  do  not 

197 


LIVING  THE  LIFE. 

care  to  obtain  external  possessions,  but  our 
aspiration  is  to  attain  fuller  consciousness 
of  the  Infinite,  Intelligence,  Life  and  Love 
that  is  our  Source. 

As  we  begin  consciously  to  desire  this 
spiritual  unfoldment,  we  find  that  our 
attitude  toward  the"  whole  of  life  has 
undergone  a  change.  It  is  this  changed 
attitude  that  shows  most  clearly  our 
growth.  We  no  longer  find  fault  with 
or  condemn  the  weather;  neither  are  we 
subject  to  it,  nor  has  it  any  power  to 
influence  our  serenity.  Rather  do  we 
exclaim  with  Ruskin,  "there  is  no  bad 
weather,  but  all  kinds  of  good  weather," 
rejoicing  in  the  truth  that  all  weather 
ministers  to  our  good  as  we  feel  our  unity 
with  it. 

Another  change  we  discern  in  our  atti- 
tude is  that  we  have  no  fear  regarding 
our  food.  We  see  that  the  underlying 
Substance  of  all  things  is  One,  and  know 

198 


LIVING  THE  LIFE. 

that  our  food,  being  one  Substance  with 
our  body,  has  no  power  to  hurt  us  or  cause 
us  pain.  Spirit  does  not  war  upon  Spirit, 
nor  does  food  war  upon  the  body.  Knowl- 
edge of  the  foundation  principle  of  unity 
releases  us  from  the  dualistic  belief  of 
separation,  and  we  and  our  daily  bread 
are  at  peace. 

In  the  new  life  we  find  that  criticism 
of  neighbor  and  friend  has  passed  away 
forever,  for  we  see  all  as  the  children  of 
the  one  Father,  entitled  to  our  never-fail- 
ing consideration  and  love.  The  thought 
of  co-operation  helps  us  here,  and  as  we 
reach  up  a  hand  to  be  helped  by  someone 
who  has  climbed  higher  in  the  path  of 
attainment,  we  also  reach  the  other  hand 
down  to  the  one  just  below  who  needs  our 
help ;  and  as  we  are  lifted  up,  so  do  we  lift 
others  up  to  us. 

Worry,  doubt  and  fear  become  unknown 
to  us,  for  we  trust  the  Divine  action  every- 

199 


LIVING  THE  LIFE. 

where.  Judging  no  longer  by  appear- 
ances, we  see  the  inherent  goodness  of 
every  manifestation  of  life.  We  do  not 
hate  nor  despise  anyone  or  anything,  but 
do  our  part  in  our  place  to  the  best  of  our 
ability.  We  cease  to  think  and  talk  of  our 
bodies  and  their  sensations,  for  we  live 
'  constantly  in  the  full  realization  of  the 
Allness  of  the  Good.  In  this  state,  the 
Truth  of  the  body  is  made  manifest  to  us 
and  we  rejoice  in  its  harmony  and  peace. 
As  we  find  God  everywhere,  the  whole 
universe  revealing  His  Presence,  the  dark- 
ness of  ignorance  is  replaced  by  the  light 
of  Divine  Wisdom;  and  walking  in  that 
light,  we  see  the  Truth  of  all  things, 
people  and  places.  The  Truth  so  clarifies 
our  vision  that  we  finally  and  wholly  dis- 
connect our  thought  from  the  superstitions 
of  the  past,  and  maintain  our  connection 
with  the  Divine  Mind.  Thus  we  think 
with  the  Father  and  are  guided  into  fuller 

200 


LIVING  THE  LIFE. 

enlightenment,  so  that  every  common  day 
is  filled  with  delight,  and  the  inner  peace 
is  established  in  our  consciousness  forever. 

JOY  COMMANDMENTS. 

Thou    shalt    rejoice    in    every    kind    of 
weather. 
"The  earth  is  the  Lord's  and  the  full- 
ness thereof." 

Thou  shalt  bless  thy  food  and  thy  drink. 
"The  pure  in  heart  shall  see  God"  in 
all  things. 

Thou  shalt  redeem  thy  body  by  knowing 
its  inherent  perfection. 
"If  thine  eye  be  single  to  truth,  thy 
whole  body  shall  be  full  of  light." 

Thou  shalt  commend  thy  neighbor  and 
praise  his  goodness. 
"Behold  how  good  and  how  pleasant 
it  is  for  brethren  to  dwell  to- 
gether in  unity." 
201 


LIVING  THE  LIFE. 

Thou  shalt  trust  thyself  and  thy  friends 

to  the  ever  present  Divine  Love. 

"For  thy  loving  kindness  is  before 

mine  eyes  and  I  have  walked  \n 

thy  truth." 

Thou  shalt  love  every  living  thing. 

"And  God  saw  everything  that  he 
had  made,  and  behold  it  was  very 
good." 
Thou  shalt  greet  each  morning  with  a 
smile. 
"Weeping  may  endure  for  a  night, 
but  joy  cometh  in  the  morning." 
Thou  shalt  be  filled  with  the  strength  and 
power  of  the  Lord. 
"Wait  on  the  Lord,  be  of  good  cour- 
age, and  he  shall  strengthen  thy 
heart." 
Thou   shalt  joyfully    go   wherever   duty 
calls. 
"The  Lord  shall  preserve  thy  going 
out  and  thy  coming  in." 

202 


LIVING  THE  LIFE. 

Thou  shalt  lie  down  to  sleep  in  abiding 
peace. 
"He  that  keepeth  thee  will  not  slum- 
ber." 


So  every  spirit,  as  it  is  most  pure, 
And  hath  in  it  the  more  of  Heavenly  light, 
So  it,  the  fairer  body  doth  procure 
To  habit  in,  and  it  more  fairly  dight 
With  cheerful  grace  and  amiable  sight. 
For,  of  the  soul,  the  body  form  doth  take, 
For  soul  is  form  and  doth  the  body  make. 

— Spenser. 


203 


GUIDANCE  FOR  REALIZATION. 


HOW  TO  GIVE  A  TREATMENT. 

Sit  quietly  and  dismiss  as  far  as  pos- 
sible, all  thought  regarding  external 
appearances. 

In  order  that  our  thought  may  be  con- 
centrated, we  close  our  eyes  and  give 
ourselves  up  to  the  conscious  realization 
of  the  Divine  Presence  everywhere. 

First  we  recognize  the  One  that  is  Omni- 
present as  perfect  Substance  and  Life. 

Next  we  see  this  One  that  is  All,  as  the 
Substance,  Life,  Health  and  Strength  of 
the  individual  who,  not  knowing  the  Truth 
of  his  own  Divine  Nature,  needs  to  be 
awakened. 

Third  we  see  the  unreality,  untruth  and 
delusion  of  all  sickness,  disease,  sorrow 
and  sin. 

204 


GUIDANCE  FOR  REALIZATION. 

Last  we  declare  the  Truth  for  him  until 
fully  conscious  of  it  in  our  own  thought, 
and  finally  we  rejoice  and  give  thanks 
that  he  was  whole  and  well  even  before 
we  spoke  the  healing  word,  and  our 
patient  had  needed  only  to  awaken  to  the 
Truth  to  be  conscious  of  it  for  himself. 

THREE  LAWS  OF  MIND. 

The  First  Law  of  Mind  is  a  Law  of 
Normal,  Natural,  Harmonious  and  Per- 
fect Action  unto  every  organ  of  my  body. 

The  Second  Law  of  Mind  is  a  Law  of 
Life,  Health,  Strength,  Power,  Wholeness, 
Harmony  and  Perfection  unto  me,  unto 
my  body,  unto  all  that  is  included  in  my 
body. 

The  Third  Law  of  Mind  is  a  Law  of 
Elimination  of  all  erroneous  beliefs  and 
the  Retention  of  all  Truth  concerning 
my  body.  These  Laws  are  being  enforced 
in  and  through  me  NOW. 

205 


GUIDANCE  FOR  REALIZATION. 


MEDITATION  FOR  AN  INCREASED 
REALIZATION  OF  TRUTH. 

1  am  that  Spirit  which  is  Immortal. 

I  am  that  Peace  which  is  Freedom. 

I  am  that  Health  which  is  Changeless. 

I  am  that  Wisdom  which  is  Perfect. 

I  am  that  Nature  which  is  Harmony. 

I  am  that  Life  which  is  Eternal. 

I  am  that  Law  which  is  Order. 

1  am  that  Activity  which  is  equal  to 
every  demand. 

I  am  that  Success  which  is  Prosperity. 

I  am  that  Supply  which  is  Abundance. 

I  am  that  Love  which  is  Conscious 
Unity. 

This  is  the  Truth  of  my  Divinity  and 
knowing  this  Truth  makes  me  free. 


206 


GUIDANCE  FOR  REALIZATION. 


REALIZATION  OF  MAN. 

God  is  all  there  is,  both  Unmanifest 
and  Manifest. 

The  Truth  of  the  Unmanifest  is  the 
Truth  of  the  Manifest. 

Man,  the  Perfect  Manifestation  of  God, 
has  no  material  body  and  no  physical  life. 

Born  of  God,  His  form  is  Spirit  Sub- 
stance; his  Life  is  the  Eternal  Ceaseless 
activity  of  the  Creative  Power  within 
him. 

His  experiences  are  wholly  mental  and 
are  changed  from  discord  to  Harmony  as 
he  learns  the  Truth  of  himself. 

He  sees  the  world  about  him  according 
to  his  erroneous  beliefs  or  his  Knowledge 
of  Truth. 

He  is  ever  unfolding  into  the  fuller 
vision  of  Truth,  more  realization  of  Love 

207 


GUIDANCE  FOIt  REALIZATION. 

which  is  his  true  nature  and  into  full  con- 
sciousness of  Wholeness  and  Perfection 
which  is  his  Eternal  State  of  Being. 


REALIZATION  OF  THE  PERFECT 
BODY. 

Divine  Intelligence  creates  and  main- 
tains my  body  in  Perfect  Integrity. 

Divine  Life  vitalizes  and  establishes  my 
body  in  Perfect  Health. 

Divine  Love  opens  and  expands  every 
channel  of  my  body  in  Perfect  Freedom. 

I  do  not  make  these  Laws. 

I  cannot  break  them. 

I  can  only  recognize  and  become  (con- 
scious of  their  Perfect  action  through  me. 


208 


GUIDANCE  FOR  REALIZATION. 


REALIZATION  OF  THE  SPIRIT. 

Moving  upon  and  within  all  creation  is 
the  Invisible,  Silent,  Infinite  and  Change- 
less Spirit  of  Wisdom,  Power  and  Love. 

This  Spirit,  with  its  ceaseless  creative 
activity,  is  bringing  Form  into  expression 
out  of  its  own  Substance. 

This  Spirit  is  not  mesmerized  or  influ- 
enced by  human  beliefs  or  opinions.  Its 
creation  is  like  unto  its  self,  pure,  perfect 
and  harmonious. 

As  I,  the  Individual,  realize  this  Truth, 
I  perceive  that  my  body,  coming  into 
existence  through  the  Eternal  Law  of 
Divine  Expression,  is  at  peace  with  its 
Source  and  is  now  perfect  and  complete. 
So  let  it  be. 


209 


GUIDANCE  FOR  REALIZATION. 


MEDITATION  ON  HEALTH. 

The  Spirit  within  me  is  Wholeness, 
Health  and  Perfection.  This  Spirit,  all 
pervading,  is  not  disturbed  by  my  feelings 
or  my  sensations.  It  is  the  only  reality, 
and  that  which  I  call  thought  is  the 
vehicle  for  its  conscious  expression. 

My  body  does  not  give  me  health  or 
refuse  me  health.  Health  is  established 
forever  as  the  Divine  and  Perfect  State  of 
every  expression  of  God.  I  am  now  con- 
scious of  this  Truth,  and  in  thought  and 
word  acknowledge  only  Health  as  the 
Reality  of  my  body. 


210 


GUIDANCE  FOR  REALIZATION. 


MEDITATION  ON  UNDER- 
STANDING. 

God  hath  not  given  me  a  Spirit  of  fear ; 
for  I  am  the  Spirit  of  Love,  of  Power,  and 
I  have  the  Sound  mind.  I  express  in  per- 
fect intelligence;  for  the  Inspiration  of 
the  Almighty  gives  me  understanding  for 
every  need.  In  my  Divine  nature  all 
Truth  is  understood  and  it  is  normal  and 
natural  for  me,  the  expression  of  God,  to 
bear  witness  to  the  Truth  of  my  Divinity. 
My  body  does  not  hinder  or  retard  the 
expression  of  Truth,  Power  or  Love.  The 
fullness  of  all  Good  is  mine  now  and  I 
realize  it  and  it  is  made  manifest  in  all 
my  affairs. 


211 


GUIDANCE  FOR  REALIZATION. 


TREATMENT  TO  RELIEVE  ANY 
SICKNESS. 

Mrs.  Fannie  B.  James. 

The  image  and  likeness  of  God  can  not 
be  sick. 

My  dear  sister  (brother,  or  friend), 
this  that  yon  are  calling  sickness — and 
you  call  it  this  because  the  world  calls  it 
so — has  no  true  place  in  you,  nor  any 
power  over  you.  The  Truth  has  made  you 
free — the  Truth  that  God  is  the  Only  real 
Presence  and  the  Only  true  Power.  Sick- 
ness and  suffering  can  not  dwell  in  that 
Presence.  You  live  in  that  Presence  and 
are  one  with  it.  That  perfect  Presence  is 
your  Mind,  your  Life  and  your  Substance. 
In  it  you  are  perfect  now  and  you  know 
this  is  true  for  this  Presence  gives  you 
Knowledge.  There  is  none  beside  God. 
212 


GUIDANCE  FOR  REALIZATION. 

You  are  one  with  God  in  your  Mind, 
your  thought  and  your  body.  The  Divine 
Presence  keeps  the  whole  of  you  within  its 
loving  Power  and  nothing  can  make  you 
afraid.  Everything  conies  from  God; 
therefore  no  sin  or  sickness  can  come  to 
you.  Not  even  a  belief  of  these  can  come 
into  your  thought.  You  are  free  now. 
You  are  well  now  and  you  know  this  is 
true. 


REALIZATION  FOR  PROSPERITY. 
Mrs.  Anna  L.  Palmer. 

Let  the  Individual  turn  to  the  fact  of 
the  All  Good,  realizing  the  Truth  that 
within  the  All  Good  he  is  contained. 

Sit  for  a  few  minutes  and  quietly  dwell 
upon  this  fact,  knowing  that  the  realiza- 

213 


GUIDANCE  FOR  REALIZATION. 

tion  of  Truth  brings  into  visibility  all 
fullness. 

For  definite  knowledge  of  supply  say 
often : 

"I  am  that  Life  which  God  is  and  of 
His  fullness  have  I  already  received." 

Deny  firmly  the  belief  and  opinion  that 
you  can  lack  anything,  and  declare  con- 
sciously, "the  substance  for  all  my  needs 
is  now  with  me."  Begin  daily  to  realize 
the  wonderful  gift  of  God's  Power  in  you 
as  a  center  of  activity. 

Know  within  your  self  the  Power  to 
accomplish  through  your  own  talents  a 
perfect  and  definite  work.  Praise  for 
your  blessings — praise  hourly  and  daily 
and  "forget  not  all  His  benefits." 

Know  that  it  is  the  Father's  good  pleas- 
ure to  give  you  the  Kingdom  and  believe 
the  Kingdom  of  Good  is  at  hand  and  NOW 
is  the  appointed  time. 


214 


GUIDANCE  FOR  REALIZATION. 


REALIZATION  FOR  HEALTH. 
Mrs.  Josephine  L.  Preston. 

That  you  may  prove  to  yourself  that 
God  is  Health  in  your  body,  practice  in 
your  Silence  the  following  statements : 

The  great  All-knowing  presence  of  God 
is  Omnipresent  Perfection.  Health  is  the 
changeless  state  of  this  Perfect  Pres- 
ence— its  Substance,  Activity  and  Nature 
actually  expressing  me  now.  Every 
moment  I  am  renewed  in  its  abundance 
of  Life.  All  habits  of  unrest  and  anxiety 
are  dissolved  in  the  perfect  loving  Now. 
My  thoughts  are  health  thoughts.  My 
words  are  health  words.  My  wholeness 
is  in  God.  I  consciously  co-operate  with 
the  highest  I  know.  I  do  not  watch  the 
body.  I  trust  God  to  unfold  it  in  its  own 
perfect  way.    God  is  living  me  now.    God 

215 


GUIDANCE  FOB  REALIZATION. 

is  strengthening  me  now.    God  is  mani- 
festing me  now.    God  is  healing  me  now. 


THOUGHTS  UPON  SELF. 

Rev.  Charles  Edgar  Prather. 

I  am  the  living  expression  of  God, 
created  in  His  image  and  likeness.  I  see 
my  Self  in  its  purity,  peace  and  power, 
without  spot  or  blemish.  I  am  joyous  and 
free,  basking  in  the  sunlight  of  His  love. 
I  am  strong  and  powerful,  filled  with  the 
activity  of  Life.  I  am  wise,  receiving  the 
illumination  of  Spirit.  I  am  a  radiating 
center  of  Life,  Love,  Joy,  Prosperity, 
Health;  for  God  is  the  Source  and  Sub- 
stance of  my  being.  My  thought  of 
personality  is  now  supplanted  with  the 
true  thought  of  my  being  the  Individual 
Expression  of  God,  for  the  "Father  within 
me,  He  doeth  the  works." 

216 


MY  WISH  FOR  YOU. 

I  wish  you  health  and  harmony ; 

I  wish  you  peace  and  joy ; 
I  wish  you  strength  and  happiness 

And  wealth  without  alloy. 

I  pray  the  inner  grace  may  shine 
Through  all  you  do  and  say ; 

And  more  than  all,  I  pray  that  Love 
May  guide  you  on  your  way. 

Denver,  1914. 


217 


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